HTBT: Cracked & Shelled

David and me in Western Town at jcrv

Always sad leaving Texarkana, but always happy arriving JCRV.

12-31-12: For a change, we stayed awake past midnight -- watching old movies. Always kinda neat to bring in the new year!

the flying remote control Nemo that Aunt Lulu got Andrew for Christmas

1-1-13: Brought in 2013 by cooking a New Year's Day lunch of ham, black-eyed peas, corn casserole, mashed taters, and cornbread for David and Gus. Took some to Edith for supper and said our goodbye to her. Til March.

Uncle Norman and me

Uncle NJ's new bib

1-2-13: David and I went to visit Uncle Norman today. He looks great! He really is such a delight. Still loves to laugh & joke. And remembers soooo much!

We talked about his Army years, his first Plymouth, and Betty. Ya know who Betty was? From his Wonderboy years. He rescued her from her drunk boyfriend when they were at AR Tech. She taught him how to kiss. He's not sure what happened to her pix, but I think I know. Lol.

He told me he's been having a "hissy fit" to go to Birdtown. He talked a lot about that. If I didn't think he'd have a hard time riding in a car that long, I woulda taken him today! But David & I decided we'd try to get there sometime in 2013 and take pix for him.

Gus "watching a movie" with us the night before we left

Said our goodbye to Gus tonight, too. Had so much fun with him these past couple of weeks! Great young man if I do say so myself!

Goodnight Moon over JCRV orchard

David bit his tongue on the drive to the hill country

1-3-13: Rolled out of Texarkana today and arrived in Georgetown, TX for an overnighter. Stayed at New Life RV Park, which is a nice place for a short stay. Supposedly snow and sleet today in San Antonio, Kerrville, and Boerne today. Maybe that's why the Georgetown HEB was way too crowded! Chance of more tomorrow.

Snow on the ground near Kerrville

Who woulda thought we'd be wintering in the snow?

We have this group of Axis in our "backyard" each evening -- sometimes there are more

pretty little things

Beautiful Johnson Creek

Not sure why the new sign didn't welcome me back

So good to see Big Boy again

another view of Johnson Creek from the deck

1-4-13: Arrived Ingram. Snow on the ground as we got near Kerrville. Amidst the cacti! Tonight we had a wonderful reunion with our JCRV peeps at a potluck. Jerri/George, Dawn/Ron, Connie/Stan, Glenda/Joe Bob, Shirlene/Jack, Lisa/Tom. So great to be "home" for the winter.

the new cobblestone patch to the chapel at JCRV

teaching Cindy to play Panties

Kathy from Michigan. Enough said.

Maxine learning Panties

1-5-13: Jerri and I taught some new friends to play Panties today. Gonna be great to be able to play a bunch for a few months!

1-6-13: Walked the backroad this morning (a little over a mile). Then Jerri and I played cards this afternoon.

One of the things I wanted to get into this year is COUPONING. David decided that it'll be more time-efficient if we get a new printer so I can print them off my phone and wirelessly off the laptop. Sounds good to me. I'm determined to only use the ones that apply to what we shop for anyway! Used my first coupon today! Saved us a whole 25 cents! LOL. A $50 printer to save a quarter!

Mitch, Preacher Jim (not at all a preacher), and Cindy playing Chicken Foot

Pretty sure KS Jim was cussing, so now I call him Preacher Jim

1-7-13: Game night tonight was fun. I learned how to play Chicken Foot. Fun game! Edith has mentioned it over the years, so I'm glad to know how now. David stayed in to watch the Bama, Notre Dame game.

1-9-13: Connie got us started with Crafts today. Swapped ideas and excited to start making some cool things! Always fun to learn something new!

David fixin to play golf with the guys

My Tiger

1-11-13: David, Ron, Glen, and Preacher Jim played golf today. Gorgeous weather!

9 of us had a resale shop extravaganza in Ingram/Kerrville today
Back row: Sue, Glenda, Jerri, Kathy
Front row" Connie, Cindy, me, Shirlene, and Maxine

Keeping our shopping strength up with lunch at Mamacita's

Debutantes

While they played golf, nine of us girls hit the resale shops and Mamacita's! 9 girls hit 9 shops. Wonderful day with wonderful peeps.

Mr Ken giving Lizzy a treat

One of the few things I got to teach Jerri -- usually she is teaching me

I b'lieve she's got it! her first self-ruffling scarf ( funny that we picked the same color)

1-12-13: The Mountain Cedar (aka Juniper) have started exploding. Oh boy. Allergins galore. We could see the puffs of "smoke" from them all throughout the hills. Cool sight, if it just didn't make us feel so crappy. But we got so sick in Texarkana, that maybe our immunities are stronger.

We enjoyed sitting outside today knitting. This is the life. Our Ohio friends, Ron and Sherry arrived today for a one week visit. So great to see them. It's been a couple of years.

BJ and Bill -- our nextdoor neighbors this year

love me some David

Western Town chili supper: Ron/Dawn, Glen/Sue

our entertainment

Ken in mid-bite

trying to help Island Jim entertain -- sometimes he was a little off

"lala bollweavil, Magaritaville"

David's red solo cup

Tonite we went to the Chili Supper at Western Town. And I tried to help Island Jim entertain the crowd.

our new walking buddies on the backroad

1-13-13: Breakfast at Hunter House with Jerri and George. Yum. A walk on the backroad, then Panties and Mancala with Jerri.

Wheeeeere's Jerri?

She found Mancala at a resale shop and taught me how to play it today. Fun and mentally challenging! Only 2 can play. You can also play with an egg carton, buttons or dried beans. Instructions online.

Rocky and me feeding Sugar and Big Boy

Rocky looking for some dropped pieces of carrot

Coooooold today and colder tonite!

Craft Day at JCRV -- Connie and Dawn cutting up their sweatshirts

Cindy Lou Who crocheting her ruffle in

Sue and Jerri rolling along -- Shirlene observing

Tom modeling Jerri's -- pretty sure Stan is confused in the background

Not sure what Jasper thinks, but Tom seems to want one!

Sue's finished jacket. Lovely!

1-16-13: Had crafts today and made the ruffle jackets!

Jerri and me at Mamacita's

3 of my fave peeps!

1-17-13: Lunch today with Jerri and George. Then David and I had a movie date -- Jack Reacher. Pretty good except David couldn't get past Tom Cruise playing that role. Shoulda been a big ole fella.

me, Sherry, and Glenda

with our fellas: Joe Bob, Ron, and David

Ron and Sherry

1-18-13: David and I had lunch at Lakehouse with Glenda/Joe Bob and Sherry/Ron. So great to get to visit with the 4 of them!

pretty afternoon hill country sky

Sat outside later this afternoon and soaked up the perfect weather!!

Got word that our friend, Cranford, was admitted to the hospital today

1-19-13: Beautiful, sunny day in the upper 60's. Said our goodbye to Ron and Sherry, went into town for breakfast and errands,

NOOOO, plz don't pee on our pecans, Rocky

this is how ya pick pecans!

raked pecans, fed Big Boy, sat outside, then finished off the day at Culver's and Walmart w/Jerri and George.

rainbow rings around the sun around noonish

kind of a phenom

this is how my iphone pic of it turned out

David chillin' with the peeps in the hood

Texans Connie and Stan

Jerri crocheting a bag (in about 2 days), and Dawn and Ron from Michigan

Surprised by a paraglider over the orchard

1-20-13: Upper 60's, not a cloud in the sky! Walked Rocky & picked pecans. Shirlene pointed out a phenomenon that I'd never seen -- rainbow - colored rings around the sun. Around noonish. Google said it's called a halo and folklore says it could mean rain. Gotta be another name for it. And no rain in the forecast. Unforgettable sight.

David tried a new recipe today for grilled turkey burgers. Soooooo yummy -- and healthier than beef I reckon.

Some of our peeps came down to visit and pick a few pecans. Loved just chillin' with them all.

miniature brahmas on our backroad walk

After I walked the backroad, Jerri, Sue, Dawn, and I sat out some more: knitting, crocheting, and working on the jackets.

Good dang day!

Chicken Foot

Hill Country Halloween sky -- only in January

1-21-13: Sat outside and played cards with Jerri. Then went to game night and played Chicken Foot. This time David joined in and learned to play. Great game for 2-several.

January morning in the orchard

1-22-13: Golf day for the guys. Cleaning day for me. Perfect weather once again. Sweet.

first we had to model our jackets we made last week

scissor holder Linda taught us to make

Cindy mixing up the hand cream

1-23-13: Crafts: Linda taught us to make scissor holders out of Dollar Tree potholders. Then we made the hand cream. Fun stuff!

Tom shaking a pecan tree --- and causing the earth to shake

Stan the Man, smiling at the audience

ok, so this is another way to pick up pecans

then the picker dumps them into the other thing

Ron: Why couldn't you get a big boy tractor?
Stan: I know, right?

Came home to the pecan trees shaking. Ha. Tom had a serious looking tractor and thing that gripped the pecan trees and shook them. Some of us sat outside to watch. I'd never seen this done, so it was an education for me. Funny that the ground where we sat, and the campers, shook right along with them But Stan said they couldn't feel the shaking in the orchard.

Connie, Jerri, Cindy, Carol, and me

Cindy, Connie, Jerri, and Carol

1-24-13: Had a girls' day out today. Cindy Lou Who, Connie, Jerri, Carol and I had sandwiches at Spirit Wind Java in Ingram. Then to Les Miserables in Kerrville. Most excellent movie!! Intense and fabulous acting! One of the best movies I've seen in a long, long time! Not sure why they sing instead of talk, but it was a great experience actually. Then we decided to sing everything we want to say for the rest of the day. (which wasn't a great sound)

Jerri and Shirley at the Cocky Rooster in Comfort

yarn shop!

1-25-13: Jerri and I went to Comfort to the yarn shop. Met her friend, Shirley from Bourne there. Last year we liked to eat lunch at the Hen House in Comfort when we made that little trip. This year it has been renamed Cocky Rooster. But the food is the same and that's good!