The Sign! Rest In Peace Bob! or Harry! or Tattered Volunteers!

Today has been great. This morning I had an important meeting, in Outer Space with Lee, a future Eagle Scout.

After the meeting, Tony and I took off in Trigger to go to Billie Gene's Restaurant, in Kerrville, because we had a lunch date with our dear friend Jim, The Mineral Man. We were the first to arrive and when we climbed out of Trigger, I looked up and started laughing. "What's so funny?" Tony asked.

I pointed up towards Billie Gene's latest, hilarious sign and then Tony started laughing, too. "Billie Genes and Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic have the best signs in town!" I said. "I love them because they always make me laugh out loud."

 

Tony and I had a really fun lunch with Jim. Jim and I ordered the exact same thing, The Special and Tony ordered catfish which were all totally delicious. 

While we were eating, we spotted a couple, dining outside on the deck, with their beautiful Cockatoo. So I grabbed my cell phone and snapped these pictures of the couple sharing their lunch with their feathered friend.

After our fun lunch with Jim, we went to the big H-E-B, to pick up a few groceries. Then we took off to go vote, because we are big fans of early voting. Then we came back home.

When we got back home Carlton was flashing on top of the breakfast bar, but I ignored him, because I wanted to take my new, bigger Bob outside and put him inside my pretty, pink writing cabin, until we use him in our upcoming Longmire—Texas Style video spoof. 

You see the other day after Bob had arrived safely, from the International UFO Museum, in Roswell, New Mexico, Tony blew him up partially for me and then he stopped, because Bob was already nearly standing six feet tall. So I decided to put Bob in my office for safe keeping, but because Bob was already so big and taking up way too much Space I made the decision, the other day, to keep Bob, inside my cabin. Here are a few pictures of my new Bob.

After I put Bob to bed to rest in peace, I came back inside and pushed Carlton's button, and heard an old, familiar voice say, "Hey Cousin Nancy, this is a voice from your past. This is Harry Barnard and I am calling you, because...." Then I immediately picked up the receiver and punched in Harry's phone number.

"Hi Harry! Oh my goodness, it is so great to hear from you! How in the world are you and Wanda doing? And where are y'all?...." I had the best time talking to my dear, eighty-something-year-old friend Harry. We laughed and talked about life and what all we've been up to. And talking to Harry today really did make my day more than great.

Harry is an awesome friend of ours and so is Wanda, his super, sweet wife that has one of the cutest laughs I've ever heard. Kinky, Tony and I have known Harry & Wanda for over twenty some odd years and we love and adore this couple. So you can imagine just how great it was to talk to Harry today.

Harry is an amazing man and one of the kindest and smartest people that I've ever known. He studied history at Florence State College, the University of Alabama and Harvard University. A member of four honorary scholastic societies, he held fellowships at the University of Alabama and Harvard. Before going to Rutgers University, where he served on the faculty of the Graduate School of Education and he also served as Clerk of the Sub-Committee on Special Education of the U.S. Congress and was also a professor at the University of Missouri. And he is also an incredibly talented author.

In 1964, Harry wrote Tattered Volunteers: The Twenty-Seventh Alabama Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. "It is more than an exciting story. It is a detailed and documented record of brave men. Such a mass of records has seldom before been made available in one book."

"The book tells the story of the Twenty-seventh in the words of the men who served in it, from the official records of the Confederate and the Union armies, and from the service records of the men who served in the regiment." And Tony and I have a signed copy of Harry's fabulous book, which is now considered to be a rare book and we cherish it as much as we do our friendship with Harry & Wanda. "We love you, Harry & Wanda! And tell Kathy & Jim that we said, Howdy!"

So once again—Life is Good.

Y'all have a great evening!

51!

Today has been great. Our good, famous photographer, friend, Brian Kanof, came over early to drink some coffee with us, before heading back to his home, in El Paso.

After we adios-ed Brian, Tony went outside to do the morning chores, by himself, because I had a mound of paperwork to take care of.

When I had finished demolishing the pile of paperwork and had returned several phone calls, I went to my computer and went Online, to do a little research and I was so thrilled with what I found, I made a small purchase, that in the future is going to give me great pleasure and keep me laughing.

Then I went to the phone to return The Mineral Man's earlier phone call, about his refrigerator pickling peppers recipe, that Tony and Kinky are wild about. I got his machine and left a brief message and as soon as I turned off the phone—he and Kris called me right back and they put me on Speakerphone.

"Hi y'all. Thanks for calling me back."

"Sure," they said.

"After we eat lunch, Tony and I have to go to Kerrville and Jim, I was wondering if you could give me your refrigerator pickling peppers, because we're going to the big H-E-B." And I purposefully left out the part about me stealing his delicious recipe and calling it mine. "I can't wait to make some."

"No problem, Nancy," Jim said. "It is so easy to make and all you need to buy is 5% White Vinegar, you've already got water, some pickling salt, garlic, pickling spice and jars...."

Right after Jim had told me his exact recipe and given me his suggestions on making it and I had thanked him—I said, "Guess where I went this morning?"

"Where?" Kris asked.

"I went Online to The International UFO Museum and Research Center, in Roswell, New Mexico!" Then we all started laughing. "Y'all aren't going to believe what I bought."

"What?" They asked, simultaneously.

"An Area 51 license plate, for the Mother Ship's fenced-in area, and it only cost me $9.00! Can y'all believe that?" Needless to say, we burst out laughing, again.

This afternoon when we got back from Kerrville I gathered up all of the ingredients, took a picture and then made six jars of Cousin Nancy's Refrigerator Pickling Peppers! And it was so easy. And the good part is I already know that Kinky and Tony are going to love them.

Y'all have a great evening and keep on laughing!