Happy St. Patrick's Day

A Hard Week for Part of the Heart of the Country

While we were spared here in North Texas, devastating wildfires in the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma, Colorado and Kansas have taken a toll this week. People have lost their homes, livestock, land (and therefore their livelihood) and worst of all family members. Four lives were lost in the fires in Gray County, Texas, and two others in Kansas and Oklahoma. Three of the four in Texas were young ranchers who were trying to save their livestock. This is so sad. The flames were fanned by high winds and grass that was still dead from winter and lack of rain.

People have been coming together to help each other as they always do. Meals for firefighters, bales of hay being brought in for the surviving livestock and people donating money to cover funeral expenses for those killed. Small, close-knit communities are still the life-blood of the rural heartland and they remind us of what is truly great about our country. Puts a lot in perspective this week.

Photo by Luke Abrams-Drover Magazine

Please keep these people in your thoughts and prayers, especially the families that have lost loved ones.

Happy Texas Independence Day!

March!

We didn't have much of a winter, but I'm glad to see March anyway! Now the budding and blooming trees won't look as silly as they did in February! It's basically been spring here for a couple of weeks. I have to admit, seeing the wild plums blooming and a soft green of new leaves across the woods makes me feel optimistic and ready to get busy doing something. I've been sorting through hundreds of  family pictures and hope to get the number down by throwing out duplicates and blurry/bad pictures. Then I'll organize and scan them and upload to the cloud. Let's see...I'm 60 years old-that ought to take me right through to 85. (just kidding-but it is a pretty daunting task). Anyway-Happy March 1st!

One of My Greatest Blessings

37 years ago today, I gave birth to my first child-a beautiful baby girl. We had our ups and downs while she was growing up and finding her way, but she is one of the greatest blessings in my life. We have so much fun when we are together. I am so proud of her and all she has accomplished!

Happy Birthday to my baby girl! Love you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Groundhog Day!

So...the groundhog saw his shadow today in Punxsatawney, PA which means 6 more weeks of winter....

except here in Texas, where I guess the Prairie Dog Pete didn't get the message. It's cold and in the 40's today, but it will be in the 80's by Monday!