CA

Hello.  My name is Lita...and I'm a controlaholic.

Step one accomplished.  Eleven to go.

More Swimming

Yeah.  More pool pics.  But it IS summer.  What're ya gonna do?

I posted a couple of videos on FB, but they don't translate very well into the hardcopy publication, so we'll make do with some stills.

She's finally jumping off the diving board!  Yay!

Jacob's own personal pack horse.

Love it when Papa's here.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

But how many of you can say that about your furniture?

Yes, I have cats.

And, no, we haven't made the complete transition to "outdoor" cats.

So far, I haven't caught Stella in the act of scratching up the chairs.  She seems to really like the scratching post.  At least, she puts on a good show when I'm around.

But Sophie.

A few months ago, she seemed so innocent.

But she has turned into a very strange cat, indeed.

Whut?

Case in point....

And she thinks every piece of furniture is her domain.

Including the bottoms of the chairs.

I've been wanting new furniture.

But I'd really appreciate it if it were MY decision.  Not because the existing chairs are in shreds.

Bad kitty.

That's what I said.  Bad kitty.

Skimmer Basket Creatures

After extracting a box turtle from the skimmer basket this evening, I caught a glimpse of something furry.

This has not turned out well in the past.


But this time I rescued a wet, scared, tiny bunny...

And we all lived happily ever after.

Three guesses who was here yesterday.

Remind me not to waste my time cleaning those windows.

There's not much "down time" when the grandkids are here.  I think I had ice cream for lunch.

Jacob is right at home in the water.

And Lauren is right at home in the shallow end, with her trusty floaties.
 
But she's starting to think she just might be missing out on something.

Okay.  At least she's standing on the diving board.

And she's contemplating the jump.

 Lucky for her, there's a convenient ledge in the deep end that's perfect for beginners.

This is big, folks.  Really big.

She mentioned once that she wished Linda and Marcia were here.  If she only knew....  Marcia would have those floaties off in a flash and she'd be flying through the air before she could scream bloody murder.  That's how her brother learned, dadgum it.  Sink or swim, buddy.

A Word to All the Sun Goddesses Out There

Had my first (and hopefully last) basal cell carcinoma removed today.  Was I nervous?  Scared. To. Death.  But not about the knife.

I looked in the mirror last night and was horrified to see that I had a wee bit of a sunburn.  What!?!  My dermatologist is going to KILL me!  But in all fairness (no pun intended), when it's 97 degrees and there's a big honkin' pool in your back yard...IT'S HARD Y'ALL!!!!   Seriously.  I tan fairly easily.  Rarely burn. And with age maturity, I have been very diligent about applying plenty of sunscreen.  I really can't imagine how it happened.  My back ITCHED all day.  A constant reminder of my sin.

Anyway, I confessed to the nurse and prayed the doctor would take it easy on me.  If she noticed, she didn't mention it.  Maybe she didn't want to pour salt in the wound--so to speak.  When the doc stepped out, the nurse whispered, "I think you might get by with it."

When I got home this afternoon, I got a mirror out to get a closer look at the burn.  It's a stinkin' rash!  Heat rash?  Hives?  Allergic reaction?  Who would know?  Oh yeah.  Maybe a DERMATOLOGIST!  If only I hadn't been a wimp and just fessed up, maybe she could have looked at it and prescribed something for me.  Sheesh!  Live and learn.  Live. And. Learn.

First Swim

Well, technically, it's the third.  But my auto-focus got switched to manual on the first, so I only got blurred photos.  The second was only me.  So, no self-portraits.

Lauren and McKinney

 Taking a break.

 Shaun and Kauleen were babysitting an 18-month old.  Cause I guess 4 kids is just not enough.

 He will remain nameless.  I take no responsibility for this madness.

 Garrison loves jumping off the board.

 And Dad shows him the proper technique.

Show-off.

Oh yes, we also had Baylor's new puppy, who enjoyed meeting Gracie and Duchess, eating the kids' snacks and finally achieving her goal of jumping into the pool.

Mr. Nameless really, really wanted to jump off the diving board.  But was very vocal about NOT WANTING FLOATIES.  Which kept us all pretty busy.

Let the summer begin.

Vitamin D - I Highly Recommend It

I've been energy-challenged lately.  After a doctor's visit Monday, I started back on Vitamin D.  5000 units Monday.  5000 units Tuesday.  10,000 units Wednesday.  5000 units Thursday.  10,000 units Friday.  5000 units today.

This morning, by 10:00 I had:

1. Made blueberry/bran muffins from scratch.
2. Done my daily Bible study.
3. Emptied the pool skimmer.
4. Done one load of laundry.
5. Changed the sheets on my bed.
6. Made a cheesecake (from scratch) for a dinner tonight.
7. Cleaned the kitchen.
8. Brought the garbage cart back from the highway and taken out the trash.
9. Cleaned the kitty litter box.
10. Brought my checkbook up to date.
11. Started the dishwasher.
12. Cleaned my bathroom.
13. Sorted 3 days worth of mail.

Yes.  Vitamin D.  The wonder drug.

Fraidy Hole

Everyone in Oklahoma should have one.

I have one.

And it's a big one...as you can see...in proportion to the aesthetically handcrafted charcoal grill placed strategically on top.

But here's the problem.

There's about 9 inches of water standing in the bottom.  And who knows what else?  I'm talking living, swimming, crawling, croaking creatures.

And this (I believe) is the reason for the problem.

Someone forgot the rule: Measure Twice -- Cut Once.

So.  Until I find someone to make me a new door, we'll have to keep the Tornado Party at the Ringle's.

Hope all my peeps found a fraidy hole last night.

This is what I live for...

Great Bible study this morning!  Uninterrupted time of meditation is so very precious.

Just have to share what God revealed to me today.  Maybe it's not a new thought for you, but it really stirred my heart.

Death.  It's what we live for!

We find it all around us.  Friends...loved ones...loved ones of friends...we can't escape it.  It brings us sadness and grief.  BUT.  Barring the second coming...it's the only portal to a literal face-to-face with the Creator of the universe. It's the means to get to our destination.

And although it's a joyful event in heaven, God knows that we will mourn.  So he comforts us.  Jesus went so far as to bring some back to life on earth. Not because this was a better place, but because he knew how we perceive death.

I know.  We have other purposes while we're alive in our human bodies.  And our journey is filled with blessings and opportunities.  But in the end, when I'm on death's doorstep I hope I will say, "Death, where is your victory?  This is what I've lived for!"

Never Again!

Never say never.  But somebody please slap me back to reality if I EVER book the last Thursday night flight from Tulsa to Houston again.

Throughout the day, the website continued to show more and more delays.  Last status check showed departure at 9:40 p.m.!!!  I had reserved a rental car, so at least Neal wouldn't have to pick me up...but since the resort gate closes at 9:00, he would have to let me in.  Actually, we ended up boarding around 8:00.  It was an airline miracle.

The flight was turbulent, to say the least.  The person sitting next to me jabbered away in Viet Namese.  The family behind me conversed in Spanish.  I was trying to read Harry Potter. Yes, I'm not only way behind the times, but I'm reading a juvenile novel...judge me if you like.  I will not apologize.  (I also try to read it in a British accent, 'cause I'm just that weird, which became very challenging, given the foreign conversations surrounding me.)

We landed around 9:40, but sat on the tarmac for almost an hour before we got a gate assignment.  Nope, you can't get up and potty, we may be moving any second now.  The flight attendant obviously didn't know I'd had a Diet Coke before leaving and a water during the flight.  Nor did she care.

Finally.  Arrival at the gate and a full stop.  Yay!!!  Oh but wait.  They have to find a jet way to unload all of us.  Are you kidding me?  So close....and yet so far.  Did they not know we were coming? Can't you just open up the slide/chute thingy and let us jump off?

Walking through the airport was very unsettling.  I can't tell you how many times I've flown into Houston Hobby, but nothing looked familiar.  I started wondering if I had even been on the right plane.  Kept looking for signs that said "Hobby" but to no avail.  My mind was cloudy and I was finding it difficult to keep my balance.  I should never have taken that little siesta while waiting on the tarmac.

Baggage claim was a nightmare.  Note to self:  Only carry-ons from now on.

Collecting my rental car should be easy, right?  After filling out all the forms, I went to the lot to fetch my car in space C-11.  Wouldn't you know it?  There's C-9.  C-10.  Space.  Space. C-15.  C-16.  It's a conspiracy, I say.  They're trying to make me think I've gone completely bonkers.  Now I'd have to wait while they serviced other customers before they could re-assign me a car.

In my younger years, I was very adventurous.  Didn't really get rattled much.  But driving an unfamiliar car--which by the way I hate 'cause the brakes are too touchy and I need a pillow so I can see over the steering wheel--on wet roads, in the dark, not knowing where I'm going, IN HOUSTON is an adventure I can do without.  I brought my gps, but could not find a place in the car to plug it in!  So I just prayed that the battery would last until I saw familiar exit signs.  


Arrived at my destination at 12:02, and even though Neal was on his way to the gate, there just happened to be a cadillac entering right in front of me.  I don't think the resort staff was too happy with me.  The little security golf cart with the flashing yellow light on top followed me all the way to the RV.  "Believe me, Barney.  You do not want to mess with me tonight."

It's T-Ball Weather

Emma.  Enjoying the game.  A game.  Some game.