Taking A Hike!

FYI: I am writing this early, because the threat of thunderstorms are predicted for this evening, so I will probably be unplugged.

Today has been great and I am so excited about the prospect of something exciting happening for Little Debbie and me, in the near future. 

And it will also involve sweet Mari and her handsome dog Si(las)—if Mari and I can pull this adventure off.

You see this morning my dear friend Mari sent me this e-mail and that is how all of this got started. Mari wrote:

"I don’t know if you ever pick up a free copy of Hill Country Culture outside HEB, but I get it in the Kerrville Times, so I do read it.

I was thrilled to see the headline : Woman Brings Dream to Life and the subheadline “Hill Country Local Hikes Appalachian Trail”. I just KNEW the article was about YOU. I thought THAT’s why you’ve been walking with me at the Park – it was for PRACTICE.

So you can imagine how disappointed I was to see someone ELSE’s name in the article.

I guess when it cools down again and my Achilles tendon is healed, we’ll have to practice some more………   Mari"

So I wrote back:

"Hi Mari. I love reading Hill Country Culture and I love the Kerrville Daily Times. That is too hilarious about you thinking (wink) it was me hiking "The Trail." And I think it is really cool about that woman actually hiking the Appalachian Trail. I do admire Lorrie Hess.

Why don't you and I actually hike it? It would be so much fun and maybe then Hill Country Culture could write a funny story about us, over the hill, gals taking a hike!

We could make it a two day event and get back here, so we could be with our dogs. And we could take Si and Little Debbie and I could make a hilarious video of us actually walking the Appalachian Trail or at least stepping on the trail, because that counts as hiking the Trail. They could even use this Photoshopped picture that Tony took of me, in Louise Hays Park, pretending to be hiking on the trail.

And instead of me wearing a back pack Si could wear a back pack to carry our 2 bottles of water, because it would only take us about an hour to shoot the video. And maybe Si could possibly carry Little Debbie, too. She is a great traveler as long as her feet never touch the ground.

All we have to do is take multiple shirts and change them out and take photographs of ourselves wearing different clothes and then stand in front of different places and take pictures of ourselves. As if we have spent a month, 2 months, etc. hiking together. Omg, let's do this! Nancy

P.S. Have you read Bill Bryson's book A Walk In The Woods or seen the hilarious movie starring Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Emma Thompson and Mary Steenbergen? If not it is a must read and a must see for you. It is one of my favorite all time fun movies to watch. And besides it being a fabulous movie, the photography and music are incredibly great, too.

P.S.S. Plus this would be a perfect opportunity for Little Debbie and I to wear our matching Uggs! We've got to do this!!!!"

So as I finish writing this tonight I am (im)patiently waiting for Mari to get back to me.

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

One Strange Rock! or On Demand!

Last Sunday afternoon, I went over to see Carol. I thought we were going to visit and then watch one of my all-time favorite movies—The Electric Horseman. The 1979 movie starring Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Willie Nelson, Valerie Perrine and Wilford Brimley.

After we caught up with each others news, I handed Carol my movie, so we could watch it, because Carol had never seen this fun movie, but I was wrong. When I told her that she was going to love watching this movie, she said, "I've seen it and I love that movie. In fact, I watched it again just a few months ago..."

And after I told her that I thought she had told me that she had never seen it, we had a good laugh about it and then we went back outside to sit on her deck, so we could enjoy the beautiful weather. Bottom   Line: When I got back home I watched The Electric Horseman by myself— if you don't count Little Debbie, Roy, Beau, Henry and Big Al(ice).

Monday was a great day, too. Or at least it was until around 5:00 that evening. But that is another story that I do not wish to talk about, in hopes that I will forget about what had happened in Kerrville.

So that evening, to help get me out of my funk I watched The Highwaymen, on Netflix—starring Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson and Kathy Bates. Then I stayed up until 1:00 writing on my third novella.

Yesterday was a great day—thank goodness. I spent my morning writing and then Tony and I spent a few hours doing some yard work.

After lunch we went to Kerrville and ran a few errands. Bottom   Line: We returned home with clean clothes and laundry and some much needed groceries. And last night I decided to watch National Geographic's One Strange Rock: The Story of Earth, hosted by Will Smith.

I was hooked after watching the first episode of One Strange Rock, so I stayed up late again, and watched two more episodes of this amazing series, on Netflix. Then I stayed up for another hour and wrote some more.

Today has been another great day even though this morning our little, cheap, plastic, water dispenser started leaking, in the big room, so Tony carried it outside and put it to rest in the trash can.

But the good news about this is Tony went into the barn and returned with our old, reliable GE Profile electric water dispenser that we had used in our trailer, before we moved over here.

We had loved this hot/cold water dispenser that has a small refrigerator, at the bottom, to store cold beverages, but I guess when we were moving over here we must have stuffed it inside the barn and had forgotten about it.

Anyway, Tony and I cleaned it from top to bottom, out on the front porch and then we put it, next to my desk, where the broken, plastic water dispenser had served us. And I am more than thrilled that Tony found our water dispenser, because now we can enjoy having icy, cold water on demand, again. So knock-on-wood—life is good.

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

Breaking News!! or 698!

I am so tired of listening or watching the Media with all of their "Breaking News" horrific, depressing stories, because like many of our friends that I've talked with they, like me, are feeling hopeless, lost and finding that it is hard to just get out of bed.

So a few days ago I decided to change "my media" choices, because I am so sick of watching or listening to disturbing, live coverage of innocent victims being killed, angry people and politicians screaming with their fists held up high in the air, etc. And it has already made a huge difference in the quality of my daily life.

Three days ago, after much thought I swore off The Media and decided to create my own media. So Sunday morning instead of waking up to alarming news, blasting out of the television, almost everyday, the first media that I chose for myself was a much healthier choice.

Yes, I walked 4 fast miles with Leslie Sansone and it made me feel so energized and ready to face my day. And sweet Henry Standing Bear happily tried to walk with me too, if he wasn't accidentally causing me to nearing trip. 

Yesterday afternoon my next new choice for my media was to spend a few hours just relaxing. While I listened to my music I enjoyed reading this fabulous book that Kris had given to me, a few weeks ago. "Thank you, Kris!"

I highly recommend reading The Most of Nora Ephron, because it is so much fun to read. It is filled with her take on life and several of her stories made me laugh out loud and that felt so good and this is probably why:

One Minute of Anger Weakens the Immune System for 4 -5 Hours.

One Minute of Laughing Boots Your Immune System for 24 Hours. 

Last night, after dinner my next choice of my media to watch was this:

I love this fun movie that was made in 1979, because that was also a very special time in my life. It brought back so many fond memories after I watched it. 

I was 28 years old then and dating Jim, whom I married two years later. In fact, I remember that after we saw this movie, in a downtown theatre, Jim & I went with my parents, who were my very best friends, to the Fort Worth StockYards and all of us danced for hours, at The White Elephant. Life was good.

Please note: That because of my new media choices I was still feeling happy and upbeat. Hmm.

This morning I got up, drank a delicious cup of Donut Shop Coffee and then I turned on the television and walked 4 more fast miles with Leslie, while Henry Standing Bear, was outside on the front porch,  gnawing happily on the steps railing. 

Today I cooked us lunch and it was red beans & rice with jalapeño sausages and Tony's delicious homegrown, organic tomatoes. And to say the least—it was totally delicious.

Early this evening I decided to start writing this post, while I sipped on one of my delicious, healthy smoothies made with too many healthy ingredients to take the time mentioning. 

Anyway, when I went to my blog, I first checked to see if I had any new comments, I didn't, but I was astounded by the number of people who have checked out my blog since 7:00 last night. 

And as I finish writing this in hopes of lifting your spirits, I just found this picture posted, on my new friend, Melissa Weiner's FaceBook page and I absolutely love it, because I know it really works.

I am now going over to the Lodge, because Kinky has written some new songs that he wants me to listen to.

P.S. A 6:10, as I was setting the time for my blog to post tonight, at 7:05, I about fell out of my chair when I saw the new number of the people who have now checked out my blog since last night, at 7:00. 

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