...horrors...

Houston. Rockport. Surrounding cities and towns. Utter chaos. Devastation. HORROR. Hurricane Harvey HORRORS.

I’m talking homes and vehicles gone. Lives lost. Snakes. Alligators. Floating beds of fire ants. (If you’ve never seen what a floating fireant bed looks like—Google it. Our oldest son said those give him the creeps and shivers as much as the alligators and snakes.) Keepsakes and memories destroyed. I’m talking hungry, wet, cold, exhausted, frightened, sick, thirsty men, women, children, babies, animals. Lives changed forever. FOREVER.

Fortunately for My Sweet Hubby (MSH), TLC and me, our sons (her four brothers) and their wives and kids, who all live in Houston, are fine. One is still stuck in his home. But it’s two-story and today he says things are looking up. The youngest—who is an ER doctor—says the hospitals are a whole different kind of nightmare. So many people needing medical attention. He's pooped. But working as hard as he can to help.

As we’ve watched it all on television, seen our sons’ pictures and read their texts, we’ve gone in and out of all of these feelings and emotions: Shock. Confusion. Anger. Sadness. Disbelief. Sheer JOY—when watching and listening to the Grace, Love and Kindness of Strangers. MORE SADNESS. Hopelessness. Then HIGH HOPES. Then more all-consuming SADNESS.

I don’t understand hurricanes. Flooding. Tornadoes. Natural disasters. Mother Nature at her WORST. Mother Nature being PSYCHOTIC. I haven’t found anyone who really does understand these unbelievable and horrific events. At 63, I try to tell myself to stop trying to understand. Understanding will never happen. Not here on Earth.

But I do believe in God. And the power and strength of the human spirit. I must. I do. So does MSH. TLC. We believe with all of our hearts and souls that someday we will know the answers to this incredible pain.

So we keep praying. Hoping. Encouraging. Praying. Attempting acceptance. We all must pray for the victims of Harvey to stay determined to move onward. Forward. Steadily. With determination that cannot waver.

If you’ve not been affected by Hurricane Harvey, you’re blessed. If you’ve never been affected by a natural disaster, you are double blessed. I've only seen the damage these weather extremes have unleashed on this World. Let's all, please, thank God right now we're lucky if we haven't gone through any of these firsthand. And PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pray for the people of Houston, Rockport, South Texas coastal cities and Texas and Louisiana cities and towns even hundreds of miles away. They all need our constant prayers. They'll need them for a long, long time.

ELC

why harvey???

Why? Why couldn’t you have just stayed out in the Gulf and chilled?

This dadgum hurricane fortunately doesn’t affect My Sweet Hubby (MSH) and me. Or TLC and her Gang. We’re far enough north to only be looking at some possible rain. (Or so “they” say! Those weather forecasters who don’t always get it right, right?) But it does affect our four sons and their families. They all live in Houston. Well, okay. That’s not exactly the 100% truth.

The two oldest live in Houston. The third son has an apartment in Houston and is there every other week. But he works in New York City.  He is currently in Houston. Our youngest son (TLC is our youngest child and only daughter) and his wife actually live in Scottsdale, Arizona. He’s an ER doctor that works in Houston several days every month. He’s also there now.

All say they are fine! The potential problem is the rain is not going to stop. For days. And days. Or…so “they” say.

MSH and I continue to pray to Our Lord God Almighty that the flooding doesn’t happen. That it’s minimal. Or that the predicted torrential rains miraculously stop! That the weather peeps are wrong. As they’ve often been in the past.

Time will tell. (There are already too many heartbreaking stories on TV. So. Difficult. To. Watch.)

Meanwhile, MSH and I had a different kind of week! We escaped to Louisiana! Our get-away was to be for two nights. Three days. It turned into one night. I won’t bore y’all with the details of our change in plans. I’ll only say that we had FUN. Much to TLC’s shock, we were happy with our choice to end it sooner than we intended. We ended up coming home the second night but then, On Thursday, took our time to look, all day, at some places/towns we’ll consider as a possible new home for us. When (and if?) our place sells in the next few weeks. Or months?

Time will tell on this, too…SIGH.

I’m heading, after lunch, to see My Girls! TLC and Her Hubby have plans for a Date Night in their new hometown. It involves lots of yummy food and a movie…in a City Park. (Assuming it won’t get rained out…) So Grammy ELC will be a Nanny tonight! I keep forgetting My Girls are 45 minutes closer and that I don’t have to allow two hours to travel to their casa. This is lovely! Wow. I’ll be home by noon-ish manana.

MSH is expecting his youngest sister to come for dinner—possibly spend the night. She’s helping her oldest grandchild (and only granddaughter) move back into her dorm at the State University in our sweet (soon to be ex? sniffy sniff...) hometown. She’s lives in Austin—and Austin is in the path of major rain and flooding.

Time will tell on whether her visit will happen or if she’ll feel she needs to get back home as quickly as possible today.

Sending each of you HUGS and my best wishes  this Saturday morn for safety, good health, happiness and NO FLOODING rains in your life…

smooches and ta-ta for now, Dearest Friends...

...along the path of Life...

From Jesus Today, by Sarah Young:

WAIT WITH ME FOR A WHILE. I have much to tell you. You are walking along the path I have chosen for you. It is both a privileged and a perilous way: experiencing My glorious Presence and heralding that reality to others. Sometimes you feel presumptuous to be carrying out such an assignment.

Do not worry about what other people think of you. The work I am doing in you is hidden at first. But eventually blossoms will burst forth, and abundant fruit will be born. Stay on the path of Life with Me. Trust Me wholeheartedly, letting My Spirit fill you with Joy and Peace.

1 KINGS 8:23; GALATIANS 5:22-23

I loved reading this when I woke this morning! Drew and I headed south early yesterday to have a good visit and lunch with our precious and Darling Liz. She’s having surgery at the end of the week and we wanted to give her encouraging hugs. Share our love for and admiration of her beautiful heart, soul and spirit. We had a GREAT time! Lots of laughs. Lots of empathy, sympathy, advice (unsolicited, of course!) and compassion for each other. A Day of Celebration for our many, many years of friendship.

While we were On the Road, TLC and her family went to the church they believe they’ll eventually join and had a wonderful experience. Little Leighton pranced right on in to her Sunday School class. Brave. Ready to meet new friends and learn about Jesus. Baby Elle had no clue what was about to hit her—as she was left in the Nursery. She did FANTASTIC—for an Angel Baby who’d not been left with anyone in her little life except her Grammy and Pa-Pa! TLC continues to unpack boxes and they proceed, hourly, on settling into their new home. Their new life. Their new “path.”

My Sweet Hubby (MSH) and I are preparing to get our country home and casa spic-and-span clean, organized, de-cluttered, and ready to be put on the market. I don’t think I’ve talked about this yet. It’s something incredibly difficult for me. Every time my mind tries to go to the work we need to do and the new adventures we need to embrace, I cry. I tremble with uncertainty, fear, and deep, gut-wrenching sadness. When we bought this place and built our home 17 ½ years ago, we never expected to sell it and move somewhere else. The reality of our aging—the work involved in keeping it up—the distance we are from TLC and, frankly, many of our doctors and hospitals (Yep, you must think about that when you get older…and older…), hits us too often now.

We don’t know how long it’ll take to find the right buyer. May be fast. Could be quite slow. We’ve got faith it’ll happen according to Our Lord God’s plans for us. We’ll practice patience. (I’m sure some days those "patience" efforts will be harder to accomplish than on others…SIGH…)


We’ll believe in His timing. However, we’ll be beyond heartbroken if, and/or when, we must drive away from Our Sanctuary to a new house. MUST. STOP. NOW. To find a tissue.


Have a WONDERFUL WEEK—wherever in this World each of you lives and loves and works and plays! Be safe. Be kind. Stay on your path. (Okay. Okay. Take a few detours if you're so moved!)
ta-tafornow,
ELC

so this is what it's come to?

Aging. Until you’ve reached your 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s, you think you get it: Getting older will be challenging and somewhat/sometimes difficult. But, truly, you have to reach those ages to understand. To totally and completely comprehend what’s happening. What’s involved.

I can remember, when I was a teenager in high school, thinking that 30 was going to be old. THIRTY. Oh, Lawdy. Sheesh.

40? I didn’t hate it. However, two months after I turned 40? I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to have a modified radical mastectomy of my left breast. Chemo. Three implant surgeries. (I then had two more implant surgeries over the next 12 years. I’m fairly certain I’ve needed a newer-model-fourth permanent implant for at least seven or eight years. I cannot bring myself to go down that road.) Therefore, 40 ended up being a BIG stumbling block.

When I turned 50? I said to myself: Geez, Self, this aging thing is getting REAL. Really scary. Really annoying.  

(All the while I’m aging, My Sweet Hubby—MSH—is, too. He’s ten years older than moi. He’s been willing and able to prepare me—somewhat—for each new decade I’ve reached. Although he can be fairly negative about it all...)

60? Again...with much greater emphasis..SHEESH. That one hit me. SIXTY. Yikes. Two months later? MSH=SEVENTY. Double Yikes.

Now I’m 63. I’ve lost 33 pounds in the past 6 ½ months. I’m getting healthier than I’ve been in years. Maybe than I’ve been all my life? I’m walking better than I have in at least five years. I’m dealing with/accepting wrinkles. Aches. Pains. Saggy things. Etc.

So yesterday morning, I went to town to my GP’s office for my annual bloodwork. I’d seen her for my actual checkup last week. She was PROUD of my weight loss. Anxious, like me, to see what my numbers are going to be—specifically my cholesterol levels. (They’ve been deteriorating for the past five years. She hasn’t put me on meds yet. For which I’m grateful.) I’ve been prepared, however, each year, for her to say: “Sorry, ELC. It’s time for more pills.” (I currently only take ONE prescription medication! Now, listen up, Kiddos: That ain’t bad for someone of my years.

I fasted after midnight Tuesday. Skipped my Diet Dew and Premier Protein Shake. Became surprised how NOT HUNGRY I actually was—at 8:15 a.m. The nurse took one vial and I went on my merry way.

Also, yesterday was the first day of the new public school year in our hometown. I needed to drop some clothes at our Cleaners and chose to drive down the street where the high school and “intermediate” school is located. Intermediate was 4^th, 5^th and 6^th grades when TLC was a student there. I’m not sure if it is still those grades—since she’s our youngest and we’ve had no grandchildren that have lived or grown up in our town.

I felt…hmmm…melancholy. A bit teary. I could remember so very much about TLC’s school years. From literally FOUR years of pre-school to kindergarten through to 12^th grade. Teachers. Friends. Bad stuff. Good stuff. Then I thought about our two oldest grandchildren who are headed to college. Our five others at different “school” stages in their sweet lives. Our third oldest grandchild will be in 8^th grade. The next? 3^rd grade. The next? 1^st grade. Little Leighton (aka LL aka Biscuit) will be starting kindergarten at a church school next week—but TLC plans to hold her back one more year. (Not sure when Biscuit will understand this decision. Hoping it won’t upset her—down the line—when she realizes she’s technically a year behind.) Baby Elle (aka Belle)? A year away from beginning pre-school. We’ll all blink and that time will be here. We’ll blink again and she’ll be graduating from high school!

This aging Grammy? Sad. Happy! Fearful. EXCITED! Praying MSH and I continue to be strong and healthy enough to actually participate in our grandchildren’s lives! Praying we have MANY MORE years on this cRaZy, and, frankly, too-often frightening, Earth!

Now one of my 63-year-old REALITIES:

It's happened. I have to have help shaving my legs. (Not all of each leg. 95% of them.) I kid y’all not. This is NOT an easy thing for me to admit. (TLC will be mortified when she reads this. It is what it is, TLC. You’ve known most of your life I’m not afraid to talk about lots of subjects!) I simply cannot move my body, back, neck, hips, legs, and arms sufficiently “around” to get my ankles shaved. Not without cutting myself. Which I did three times last week.

So here’s My Solution:

MSH simply has to assist me. Last Thursday was his first day. I wasn’t thrilled about asking him. Hey, after over 40 years together? It’s certainly not the worst thing he’s ever had to do for me. Or the worst thing he’s ever seen! (And vice versa.)

Please do me a favor, You Younguns:

Pray he can continue to see WTHeck he’s doing! Because TLC is surely going to try to NOT inherit his obligation if HE starts cutting my ankles.

My BEST wishes to each of you, from My Texas Country Casa, this Terrific Thursday evening! Enjoy every single second you are under the age of 40. Or 50. Or 60. Or 70. Or 80. Or 90. Whatever age seems “OLD” to you! ‘kay?

Hugs,

ELC

moment by moment...

From Jesus Lives, by Sarah Young:

TRIALS

CONSIDER IT ALL JOY WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER VARIOUS TRIALS. You can consider something a joyful opportunity even when you are feeling quite joyless. Some definitions of “consider” are: “to think about seriously; to regard as; to believe after deliberation.” You may need to ponder your circumstances at length before you can view them in a positive light. You need to give yourself time for your feelings to settle down. It’s hard to think clearly with high levels of emotions surging through your brain. Once you have calmed down, you will be able to think seriously about your situation. Invite Me into this process of deliberation, and My Presence will improve your perspective: helping you see your trials in the Light of eternity.

As you look at your circumstances from My perspective, you come to understand that these multiple problems are testing your faith. This is both an opportunity (to strengthen your faith) and a temptation (to let your feelings “trump” your faith).

One of the hardest things about trials is the uncertainty about how long they will last. Usually, you can’t predict or control the unpleasant circumstances. You just have to live with them indefinitely. At times you may feel as if you can endure no more, but you can always reach to Me for help. As you cling to Me moment by moment, I enable you to persevere. This produces in you not only endurance but also a harvest of righteousness and peace.

Consider it all joy…when you encounter various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

JAMES 1:2-3

As we entertain and visit with two of our five Houston grandkids this weekend, TLC and Her Hubby continue to unpack boxes. Settle into their new home. Yesterday afternoon, their downstairs air conditioner went out. Lack of cool air in Texas? In August? TOUGH STUFF. Truly CHALLENGING.

She texted me to let me know she and The Little Girls might have to make the trip to our casa and spend a couple of nights. I said: “Come on!” The cousins were missing The Little Girls anyway! They finally found a company to come over and fix it. AND the cost wasn’t as bad as they expected.

Trust me when I confess TLC has come by her negative impatience honestly. Her Mama has too much of it. We both have an excess amount of moments we feel we can “endure no more…” At 63? I’m still working on this terrible trait/habit/albatross. My prayer for my Sweet Daughter today is that she learn to look to Jesus for comfort and strength. That she take deeper breaths. That she lean on her faith and God and Jesus’ past grace.

God bless each of you, Friends, with perspective. Calm in the midst of your personal storms. And, ultimately? JOY. The JOY that only Jesus Christ can give us.

Happy Sunday!

p.s.: My Sweet Hubby and I pray constantly for the anger, hate, and useless violence in America to end. Enough. It must stop. Yesterday.

in recovery...

We're all in recovery.

Me. My Sweet Hubby (MSH). TLC. Her Hubby. The Little Girls? Buddy Boo Bear and Hunter the Cat? Nope. Henry (aka Bubba)? A tiny bit.

TLC’s BIG MOVE from her (now) former home to her new home (45 miles/minutes closer to me and MSH—YIPPEE!!!) began Friday afternoon. MSH and I had picked up Little Leighton (aka LL aka Biscuit) and Baby Elle (aka Belle) at 9:30 that morning in Euless. We got here to our country casa by 11:15.

TLC and Her Hubby closed on their home at 10:30 and went back to meet The Movers at their (now) former home. They all worked—in the Texas heat—for hours and hours. Took several loads of “stuff” to the new home. There were blips. Setbacks. Frustrations. Overall? It went well for the first day.

Meanwhile, we played and played and played at Grammy and Pa-Pa’s house! Belle, who has had good and VERY bad nights, in the past sixteen months, in the half-crib we have for her, had a bit of a struggle deciding she was going to sleep Friday evening. She cried. And cried. And SCREAMED. Then, towards the end of the drama, pitifully called out: “Ga-Ga. Ga-Ga. GA-GA!” This all lasted about twenty minutes. Twenty. LONG. Minutes. (FYI: This Mama/Grammy/Ga-Ga does not do well with crying. I didn’t with any baby. Ever. Especially TLC. And Biscuit.) I was about to THINK ABOUT going in to reassure Belle she’d be okay and we were still around when she suddenly stopped. Which was a very good thing. Since TLC had threatened me practically with my life if I gave in to Belle’s tears and antics. Oh. My. Broken. Heart. It was a rough twenty minutes for moi.

Saturday morn we went out early to feed our (pregnant) Mama cows and played on our back patio (bubbles, pulling the wagon, picking up sticks and rocks)—until 10:30. It was surprisingly cool! We’d told LL we’d all load up and go have some “Moyo” (the term MSH uses when he’s referring to frozen yogurt) after Baby Elle woke from her nap.

Northeast of Us: The Moving Saga continued for TLC and Her Hubby.

Us/We? (I swear I have no grammar skills any more...zero...zilch) Country Folks had a fun time “goin’ to town” after Belle’s nap. We hit up Staples—(y’all will recall this is one of Biscuit’s favourite stores and, yes, that still blows our minds…)—before heading to the frozen yogurt store. They’re within a short walking distance. We all enjoyed the deliciousness of the gluten-free flavors we picked. This is truly one of Biscuit’s treasured things to do when she’s staying with us. God love her. Simple pleasures!

Saturday—for all of us—went by fairly fast. At our house, Belle did much better taking her nap and going to bed that night in the crib she doesn’t appreciate.

Minutes after getting Biscuit to sleep, I showered and hurried to get in my bed—the place where MSH was already snoring. I reached to turn off my light—monitors on The Little Girls and my body in total pain—when I received a text from TLC saying one of the movers had stolen her iPhone 6! I felt awful for her. She’d just bought a 7Plus two weeks ago. She was saving the 6 for LL and Belle—so they could look at pictures and watch the videos. She’d left it in her nightstand drawer Saturday morning and had discovered it gone moments before her text.

She was sick. ANGRY. (Mostly at herself for not taking it with her in her car.) STRESSED. Fortunately, we all put passcodes on our phones. She wasn’t too worried about anything getting stolen. She was deeply hurt that one of the movers—and they tipped, generously, all these guys that helped for two days at the end of both days—would steal from her. After talking to a lovely Apple Customer Service Rep, she did her best to sleep and move on.

Sunday came and went a bit slowly for The Grandparents! As Belle napped that afternoon, this Mama listened to The iPhone Theft Story from TLC—as she drove away from her former home forever. It's about an hour drive. Trust me: She could convince Scotland Yard she didn’t lose or misplace it. The woman she talked to at the moving company on Monday morning assured her she’d find it—that her "guys” would never take anything. Here's what this Mama Bear says: The cellphone won’t show up. I’m certain of it. I'm even more positive Scotland Yard would also be certain.)

By Sunday evening after dinner, MSH and I were slowly going downhill. Our bodies were beginning to rebel. Major rebellion. Caring for LL? A piece of cake. Easy. Peasy. Baby Elle? Lordy. That 16-month-old Baby Princess is actually a TORNADO. FAST. Unpredictable. Destructive. TIRING. Sheesh. (And we adore her.)

Monday morning TLC worked on getting Her Girls’ bedrooms ready for them to come see their new digs! They’d seen the downstairs last Thursday—but couldn’t go up to their rooms due to wet carpet. TLC was anxious to get them settled in. MSH and I and The Little Girls spent the first half of the day eating, getting in some last-minute playing, and packing their belongings. (It was alof of stuff for three nights/four days.)

We arrived at The New Casa (new to TLC and Gang) at 2:00 Monday afternoon. I was very impressed and loved it! Yes, it needs some work and tender loving care. Paint in most all of the house/rooms. Carpet in many rooms. But it’s a charming, comfy, wonderful home and I’m sincerely excited for our daughter, granddaughters, son-in-law and Henry the Dog as they adjust to new neighbors, schools, challenges—their new life.

MSH and I got home at 5:00 yesterday evening. I got my jammies on and went straight to our Great Room davenport. I kept falling asleep as I watched the THREE-HOUR conclusion of The Bachelorette. I loved Rachel, by the way. In a big way. I feel like she didn’t get the man her heart truly wanted. I hope and pray she’s happy with the one she got. (She sure did snag a STUNNING 3-carat diamond ring. WOWZER.)

Today has been spent on laundry and cleaning. Putting LL’s room (which was TLC’s and is now our guest room but Biscuit would sweetly inform you it’s HER room!) back together. I must confess: I didn’t finish in there. I did finish our laundry.

I had a haircut in town at 2:00. Left early for some errands. When I got home at 3:30? I might have opted to get back on the davenport. Yep. I’m awful. What can I say? This Old Grammy ain’t what she used to be. I'm old. Saggy. Sluggish. Sigh.

Here’s to Y’all having a Wonderful Wednesday—wherever in the World you are!

Note: If you must move, try to do it in the Spring. Or Fall. Not August. At least not July or August if you live in Texas. And get ready for lots o’ unexpected and unwelcome issues to come up. They happen. Always. ALWAYS.

HUGS,

elc

p.s.: I’m missing My Three Gals tonight. Sniffy. Sniff.

Celine. And Dion.

Y’all might remember how much I love America’s Got Talent. It’s one of my shows that make me cry. EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK. (Since The Biggest Loser hasn’t been on in about…oh, I don’t know exactly…two years?...I have all of those tears just waiting to be released from my old, sad eyes.)

If y’all are not watching this season's AGT, my question is this: WHY? I mean, SERIOUSLY…WHY? It has lots of ridiculous acts—at the beginning. But, after the first four shows, it’s ALL TALENT. Some of the acts? I cannot watch. I must fast forward. ICKY ICK ICK. Like contortionists? Uh, no. NO, thank you very much. But the singers? Dancers? Magicians? Comedians/Comediennes? LOVE THEM ALL.

I’m missing Nick Cannon—yet liking (and I’m semi-surprised I’m saying this) Tyra Banks as the Host. Howie? Mel B.? Heidi? Simon? ADORE THEM. Each and every one of them.

This year there is a 9-year-old girl who is INCREDIBLE. Her name is…wait for it...drumroll...Celine. Yep. Named after you-know-who. Her parents LOVE, LOVE, are OBSESSED with Celine Dion. (I can’t blame them.) Her little sister’s name? Yep. Dion. I cannot make this stuff up, Peeps.

I also cannot put into enough words—that are accurately descriptive—how good/talented/cute this little girl is. Last night? She got The Golden Buzzer (if you don't know what this is you're just going to have to watch the show...). From Guest Judge Laverne (spelling?). (I think she’s on Orange is the New Black. I think. I don’t watch that show because we don’t get that channel—but I’m fairly certain that’s her claim to fame. And she was precious. Truth.)

My Suggestion: WATCH America's Got Talent. If you never have—GIVE IT A TRY. On Demand it. Netflix it. Go to their website. You can watch every show from there. I believe. Do whatever you have to do. The contestants (and MANY are from other countries around the world) are full of The American Dream. How can an American not treasure that? At the very least, YouTube Celine’s performances, okay? You’ll fall in complete love with her. Trust me.

ELC

p.s.: My Sweet Hubby (MSH) and I meet TLC at our rendezvous spot in Euless manana at 9:30 a.m. This is THE WEEKEND! The Big Move will happen beginning tomorrow afternoon. TLC has literally been packing for over a month. She says she's (mostly) ready. Little Leighton and Baby Elle will be staying with us—at our country casa—for 3 nights/4 days. MSH and I could use a prayer or two for our physical stamina, energy and general well-being—if you have some prayers to spare. Baby Elle? WEARS. US. ALL. OUT. Sheesh. She also sleeps in my Boffice. That’s my combo word for our second guest room and my office. Any hope that I can post—or even get on my computer for more than five minutes—is completely dashed by her need to sleep in here. If there’s anything left of me on Monday night? Come back and look for my follow-up post possibly entitled: We Are Officially Pooped. If it's not there? Check back Tuesday. Or Wednesday. Winky. Wink.

In the midst...

of TLC’s move to a new home—second move in a little over two years—and all of the chaos, confusion, and exhaustion—it became August. AUGUST. Oh. My. Lord. The last two weeks of July? Vanished. Completely disappeared in the hot, steamy Texas wind.

This week is cRaZy. Naturally. Could I expect anything else? Sigh. My Sweet Hubby (MSH) and I will pick up Little Leighton (aka LL aka Biscuit) and Baby Elle (aka Belle) on Friday morning. We’ll attempt to keep them entertained until Monday morning (Which won’t be easy since it’s virtually impossible to step outside our home after 10:00 a.m. every morning and stay healthy…However, the DFW Weather Peeps are promising cooler temps for the next 5-6 days—which only means low 90s instead of the 100s). Late Monday morn, we’ll take them to their new home! (An hour-and-fifteen-minutes will be our driving time...as opposed to the over-two hour previous drive to their current house. YES!)

Grammy Nanny ELC is missing My Little Angels! I said goodbye to My Three Gals last Thursday after being with them for nine out of twelve days (TLC's Hubby was in Connecticut for almost two weeks). TLC had thought I might need to help her today and/or tomorrow. She is under the impression she has the remaining packing etc. all worked out—or so she believes. I’m here at our country casa. Cleaning. Doing laundry. Getting our groceries and gluten-free menus planned for Our Little Girls’ Visit.

I’m going to be, once again, taking over lolwiththeleightons for a few weeks. Maybe even months. I’ll valiantly attempt to figure out how to post pictures! I’m a bit worried. I rarely save them on this old, outdated desktop computer I use. I try—and then I can’t seem to locate them. I’ll make an extraordinary effort and maybe even get MSH to help me! He can be quite handy. Sometimes. With computers. (He’s HUGELY handy with meals—vacuuming—yardwork—errands. He’s the BEST with all of those things. Not laundry. Not potties. Most everything else. Hey, I’m lucky he does as much as he does. Don’t you worry one itty-bitty bit: I so cherish his help and I mean CHERISH!)

So bear with me, Friends…as always, I have things to say! Y’all have no doubts about that fact, right?

Wishing us all an AWESOME August! Before we can blink, Autumn will be here. It’ll still be hotter-than-you-know-what in Texas. We’ll be pretending it’s cool and crisp while we fix or purchase our pumpkin lattes! (Oh, dear. TLC will drive us all NUTS with her Fall Obsession soon. Sheesh.)

Smooches and BIG Hugs and TA-TA FOR NOW!

elc