Chili, baby

Last night I got to see my oldest son when he dropped by at 8:30pm, coming home from work.  Yeowser.  Some hours.  Anywho, his mission was to pick up his enchiladas, but since there was still a nip in the air, earlier, I had made a pot of chili and I knew he'd be on board for a nice hot bowl of red.  Luckily, Fred had not done the dishes, so all I had to do was fire up the chili, set him a spot by the TV, pull out the cheese, chopped green onions, and chips, so all he'd have to do was wash his paws, and sit down.  Oh, yeah...I put the TV flipper there, too.  Sure enough, when he hit the front door, and said "Chili?", he made a bee line to the kitchen.  While he washed, I dipped up a big old steaming bowl...(that sounds like the Wolf brand chili ad....jeeze) put on the cheese, and handed it to him.  At 29, I figured he could handle his own onions, but sometimes you just have to play mom a little. Then I left to go do something.

The next thing I heard was Fred and Brian, howling in the kitchen.  I never know what they are laughing about, but love hearing them.  They adore each other, and it's so fun just to observe them or hear them, going crazy on some random topic.  And when Benji is here, all three of them get started, usually with Benji telling something hilarious, and it just rolls on from there.  Sometimes it ends up in the donkey bray laughter, sometimes just bursts of laughter.  Either way, it's contagious.  Funny is just funny.  Cain't hep but laf......

Finally!

I have more great news and it was delivered at almost dinnertime yesterday.  We finally received our response from the Appeals Court yesterday concerning a family lawsuit around our family company, and while we didn't get q-u-i-t-e everything we asked for, we got really close--close enough that I hope the other sides counsel and their client, were all wearing Depends.  I never thought we'd get everything --that almost never happens, but I'll sure take this.  The decision is a fifty page spankin' for screwed up judicial moves by our judge--and his first official trip to the wood shed by the Appeals Court--so that alone makes it worth the 2 1/2 year wait for the results.

The saddest part about this whole deal is, the person who sued us will now have actually less money than she would have, had she not sued us.  By the time she pays all of her attorney fees, since she was paying them on a contingency basis (30-35% of the total--maybe more), for TWO separate lawsuits, she's not gonna have squat, when all is said and done.  And she is already broke due to her own mismanagement of her funds--business and personal.  One of the lawsuits was just for hassle and to try to scare us...to see if we'd cave, and we won that one flat out.  And her attorneys have done everything possible to kill off our company, while we awaited the decision from the Appeals Court.  Yes, they can still take this to the Texas Supreme Court but they probably won't.  By now her attorney's just want to get paid, and move on.  Oh, man....what a waste of time, money, and energy.  Greed is just such a corrosive and damaging emotion.  It never gets you anything positive and usually ends up biting you in the tush. 

Looking back, maybe that's the lesson here.  Be grateful for what you have, everyday.  More of everything is NEVER the answer and the pursuit of more will never leave you happy or satisfied--you'll always want MORE.

On a funny note, Sister is snoring like a chain saw, in her bed right below me. She's all snuggled under Wigman's old favorite red fleece blanket, with her ears flipped back and piled on top of her head.   Oh, Lordy....

What a weekend!!

Whew!  Busy, exciting weekend.  The chicken enchiladas I had planned to make for Dit, my niece, and Brian, are still in "thinking about it" mode in the refrig.  By late yesterday afternoon, I was showered and back in my pj's and happy to be there.  The enchiladas will get made today...at some point... probably while Senora Maria is here ironing, so we can gab and catch up on each others news.  She's gonna freak over Benji's...I can hardly wait! 

I went by Saturday to see mom and once again, could not find her.  Even though I knew it was a Hair Hut day, it was almost 1:30pm and she goes at 10:30 am.  Jeepers!  She doesn't have that much hair, so I called over to the Salon, and sure enough she was on her way back.  As she was coming down the hall with her walker, I went to meet her, and told her she'd sure been gone a long time.  Without a blink she told me she'd had a lot of "maintenance work" done --the works--waxing, eyebrows tinted, hair, nails, and that on Saturday, an overhaul like that takes time.  I howled.  Clearly she was having a good day and it was about to get even better.

  Since she'd also missed lunch, they'd sent her back with her's, so while she got all settled on her sofa, I heated up her lunch.  I let her eat before I dropped Benji's bomb, knowing if I didn't, she'd never eat.  She got so excited she cried, and then we laughed, and decided to call his bad old self, so she could congratulate him.  (Kleenex alert:  I might cry on this next part so don't say I didn't warn you).  I dialed his cell and when he answered, I told Benji I was putting Babe (that's what all her grandkids call her) on the phone.  She got on and said everything you'd want your grandmother to say to you, if you've just gotten engaged...how much she loves you and the girl you've chosen...how she can't wait for the wedding....how excited she is for you both...how exquisite the ring is...  I stood back freezing this moment in my brain thanking God mom was alert enough to participate in this conversation, and know what was going on.  She even asked who was going to be his best man and was told "Babe...I've only been engaged 12 hours.....I don't know yet", and they both laughed. For me, it was poignant in the extreme....two new lives joining and beginning, as hers slips away. I was so glad I got to witness this firsthand, as it's a memory I will treasure forever.  Mom looking beautiful, and being present, for another family event...what a gift.

Wedding bells !!

It seems we are going to be hearing them and couldn't be happier!  Benji and Andrea got engaged in Nash last night, and it was all tres' romantic.  Benji, your May and Dadamon couldn't be more proud and excited to welcome Andrea to our family. We love you both to pieces!

Photo Montage

New pillows for the squirrels to chew.










Somebody needs to get a job.

                   


                                                                                               

                                                                             Backyard roses.         
Hadley helps clean Hud's teeth.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                   

        

Welcome, Banjoman!!

Well, lookey heah....my baby boy in Nash joined as a Follower!  Woo hoo!  I am dying for his band, Scarletta, to finish recording all their new songs so I can post a link here.  Some of you, like Anna, have already heard a few songs, but they truly are GREAT.  I have them on my Ipod so I can walk to them.  Miss you muches, Benner, and welcome aboard!

Nurse!

Wow.  So much to tell but where to start?  After Aubs miraculous recovery from those rocket fueled antibiotics, I went on to my next patient--my niece, Dit.  That's not her real name as you might have guessed--just what some of us call her.  Since my sister is oot (out of town), Dit called her AC (Aunt Caroline) to come play "mommers" and general nurse, for her itty bitty ailing self.  I diagnosed a possible sinus infection based on her symptoms but told her if the magic chicken soup and nasal rinse I brought didn't do the trick substantially, by the next day, to get in to her MD.  And, she did, and it's a good thing---she has a nice case of strep throat.  Ouch. I must insert here that watching Dit do her nasal rinse, over the kitchen sink at her place, was about the most hilarious thing I've seen in ages.  Picture it:  hair in a droopy pony, robe cinched around her tee nincey waist, with one of those black out eye shade things on top of her head, shooting stuff up her nose....omg...I liketa died.  That girl was stylin', with that nasal rinse shooting out her nose.  But seriously, who looks good doing that.  Uh, that would be nobody.


In all fairness, I'd been planting pots outside all day, until my "house call", so I looked pretty skanky meeeself.  Since I'd just gotten my hair cut, I told Dit I looked like a fat lesbian yard person--and that's not a slam against gays--I love all of them.  Each and every one.  It's just a really accurate description of my style quotient. One glance at me and my attire, and Carson Kressley of Queer Eye would have died on the spot.
Dead, dead, d-e-a-d.  I will say that my description of myself, did improve the force of the sinus rinse shooting out Dit's nose.....that was by far the best part.

Anywho, on my walk today, this is what I discovered, and had to snap for you all to see.  This has B-O-Y stamped all over it.  It's some little guys down the blocks clubhouse/hangout, and please be sure you note the decor.  Since I couldn't snap all of the finer points, I will call your attention to the lovely black and white ottoman, and the equally attractive faded, red director's chair.  Now, look closely and you will see white suspended trash bags stashing I know not what--possibly provisions-- and the red ribbon intertwined above the entry way??....Such a welcoming, down home touch, don't you think?  It just says "Come on in" all over it. 

Man, I love our block....there's just always something funny going on in da 'hood.