Godspeed Hippie Chick

A girl I went to school with passed away a couple of weeks ago. It's one of those friends that you get shocked that they were ill to begin with, much less has just passed without any fanfare. She was a wild child back in school and was still a wild child when she left us. Of all my classmates that have passed up to now, this one is hitting me the hardest. She was so full of life. So full of fun. So full of happiness.

Good bye, Diane.

 My Old Friend
(Tim McGraw)

My old friend, I recall
the times we had hanging on my wall
I wouldn't trade them for gold
cause they laugh and they cry me
somehow sanctify me
They've woven in the stories I have told
and tell again.

My old friend, I apologize
for the years that have passed
since the last time you and I
dusted off those memories
But the running and the races
the people and the places
there's always somewhere else I had to be
time gets slim, my old friend.

Don't know why, don't know why
Don't know why, don't know why

My old friend, this songs for you
cause a few simple verses
was the least that I could do
to tell the world that you were here
cause the love and laughter
will live on long after
all of the sadness and the tears
We'll meet again, my old friend.

Goodbye, Goodbye
Goodbye, Goodbye

My old friend, my old friend
Goodbye, goodbye

It's Been A While!

Good thing my New Year's resolution wasn't to faithfully blog on here! I would have failed that one miserably!

Since the last time I wrote, we have moved from California back to Texas. This time, we're in Round Rock, just south of Georgetown where we lived prior to moving to California! We are about 3 miles from Michael and Melissa so we see them often.  Especially since I'm babysitting Jackson.  Melissa drops him off and Michael was picking him up, but he got moved to third shift, so Melissa picks him up after she gets off work.

Justin is here and going to ACC to take some math classes.  Calculus was kicking his butt, so he's starting over with Trig and working up from there. Slow going, but it puts it all in perspective for him.

Mike is tickled to death to be back in Texas. He's back at Dell and is loving it. This time he is working down at Parmer Lane rather than the main campus because that's where his group moved. He's got his old job back and working with several of the same guys he worked with prior to leaving and going to Western Digital. The first two weeks he was there, he didn't have to buy lunch since everyone he saw wanted to take him out for lunch to catch up with what he's been doing since he left Dell three years ago.

I'm trying to figure out Round Rock and get used to being back in Texas again. As soon as I got here, I got sick. I haven't been sick since we left Texas 3 years ago. I got a great case of bronchitis and a sinus infection on top of it. I took antibiotics for three weeks to get rid of the "crud" and then had to take antibiotics in an ear drop because my right ear was stopped up for almost three weeks. I figured the antibiotics I was on would cure that, too.  My mistake!

We are all (currently) healthy and doing well now.

More later!

Yes, it was a good Christmas!

Sunday Afternoon in the Park

Sunday I was starting to get a bit stir crazy in the apartment since we didn't go out on Saturday, so we decided it was too cold for the beach, but it would be nice to get out and do some walking. So we headed off to the Orange City Park.  It was later in the day, a bit on the cool side, and the Santa Ana winds were keeping things breezy enough that most people stayed away from the park.  I've seen this park packed to the point where the Parks Department didn't allow any more cars inside.  (This park is also one of the ones that you have to pay to enter! Gasp!!)

At the Orange City Park you can go horseback riding, visit the Orange City Zoo (been there several times), picnic, ride the train, walk on nature trails, feed the duck, ride the paddle boats on the pretty big pond, and in general just get out and commune with nature.

There are lots of wild mallards and wood ducks that have migrated to the ponds at this park. I took lots of photos of them and was trying to catch them as they flew into the area and landed on the pond.  Apparently, I needed to have a faster shutter speed because all I got were lots of photos that were pretty blurry! Need to pay attention more to what I was doing!

Mike and I walked most of the time we were there, finding a nature trail we thought would take us to the top of a very high hill that I thought would give us wonderful views... the trail didn't go that high, so I didn't get the shots that I wanted to get.  Beautiful hike though!

Along our walk thru the park, we ran across four wild peacocks strolling down the side of the road.  I got ahead of them and took some photos as they approached. Beautiful birds but pretty stupid. They walked out into the road several times causing the drivers to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting them!  Silly birds!

As we walked around the park the late fall afternoon was fast losing it's light and the park lights began to flicker on. As we neared the pony ride area, the trees all of the sudden lit up with Christmas lights! Although its a bit hard to see in these photos, the lights really were quite pretty!  By the time we made it back to our car, the park was pretty well emptied. We enjoyed the solitude of the duck pond for a few minutes, watching them glide across the still waters as they began to settle down for the night. 

 

 

Last train ride of the night.





Christmas Cards, Part II

I went looking for our Christmas cards that I had made up for the past few years. I recently posted the card we will be using this year.  I found a card from 2009, but I think I sent out all of 2010's cards.  However, I'll post the photo that we used for the 2010 card.

From 2009:  This photo was taken while Mike and I were on a "Whale Watching Tour" out of Long Beach. We were just leaving the harbor when this sailboat passed behind the boat we were on. The lighthouse marks the entrance to the harbor.

From 2010:  This photograph was taken at Huntington Beach, our favorite beach for things to do.  We were getting ready to leave the beach when I turned around to get another photograph.  When I saw the lavendar evening sky, I walked back about 20 feet to include the couple that were sitting on the beach enjoying the sunset, too.  You can see the crescent moon near the top of the photograph.

Things Are Changing

Not only is the weather changing in southern California (the "rainy season" is just getting started), but there are other changes going on as well.  I wish I was in a better position to say more, but I can't right now!  Soon though! Big changes of the good kind!

We are going to go see Michael, Melissa and Jackson over the holidays and I can't wait for Mike to meet his grandson.  Talk about a Kodak moment! Guess what I will have in my hand?!  It was with real sorrow that I had to inform my family that we wouldn't be in Tennessee for either holiday as we were changing plans here. They understood and wish us well with our changes.

Mike has been working all week for the past several weeks. There hasn't been a day this month that he hasn't had to go into work for something on the weekends.  OK, take that back... he had off last Sunday. Today he went in early and we were going to go to the beach, but the weather turned on us while he was at work and now its drizzling rain.  I think that would make for some awesome photos at the beach, but I don't want to get my camera wet either!

I've got a new thing to spend my time on now... Pinterest!  If you haven't seen it, check it out at http://www.pinterest.com/.  I've spent hours on there now and have found so many ideas on things to do; books to read; crafts to work on and many other things!

Well, going to head to Michaels for a craft fixation!  Take care!

Christmas cards

For the past couple of years, I've been having our Christmas cards made with photographs that I have taken.  This year, I couldn't decide on just one photograph, so I gathered some of my favorite photos and designed a card around them.  I liked it! Once I designed the card, Mike told me to go ahead and order them. That's why I have them so early! 

If I find my 2009 and 2010 Christmas cards, I'll post them, too.

2011 Christmas Card