Later

I'll try for another on here because it would not load on the previous post....

Christmas in Rancho

So annoyed with YouTube.  They've changed the site so much and made it difficult for me to navigate. I had it down for years and now I'm addled.

Anyway I have a video to post and I'll try to get another loaded to post later....

Colin in Town......

Grandson Colin Oliver came last night to spend two nights with us.  Here is a video of me yelling at him.



Nana took Colin to the zoo this morning.  They came home tired and sweaty,  eeuww.
Then Col tried the pool-- water too hot to swim.   Next we had pizza. Sushi or Chuy's for dinner, we'll let him decide.

Wood Burning Pizza Oven

This is a great way to cook food.  Last night we had pizza and tonight we are baking fish.  Here are a couple of the pizzas we made and later I'll add a pic of the fish we bake tonight......gotta go out and catch them now.......

The fish turned out very well, but, sorry I forgot to take a picture in all the excitement of serving them up for dinner.

Here's Graham.....

Graham recited a poem in school today...

Evelyn.....5th Birthday ride

She rode a little today despite the cast on her left arm.

And Beverly rode today too..

As did I,......

Famous People Wax Museum

Graham and Paige were portraying Jackie Robinson and Shirley Temple today at school.

Here are videos of them talking about the celebrities they were portraying......

Rodeo 2012

We went to the rodeo yesterday.  It was spectacular.  Those cowboys really work hard. We were in a suite and had a great view of the events. There was lots of good food, wine and beer if you wanted it.

The National Anthem sung by the Houston Boy's Choir was excellent......here's the tail end which is all I managed to get recorded....

And here some of the group shows excitement at the bullriding skills of the cowboys.

After the rodeo there was a concert and the kids liked that....

Destin Revisited

We drove last Thursday past New Orleans to Slidell, Louisiana and overnighted there.  It was a 6 hr drive. Next day we went on into Sandestin - 4 more hours but it was relatively easy with the break in between driving days.

Although the weather was cold we had lots of plans for the long w/e.  There was a dog parade on Monday and Mardi Gras on Tuesday.  Patch and Maggie got blinged out for the doggie walk and we all had a great time catching beads and whatnot at the Mardi Gras parade.  I thought I would be a bit bored by it but, NO! It was a blast and we had a great time.

Patchie and her Mardi Gras adornments

Looking at the coast and beach

not many swimmers

She's working

Brian, Sandy and Bev enjoying CH wine

It's a bloody mary morning

At lunch in Ft Walton Beach

Martinis all around


One couple drove back to Ft Lauderdale on Tuesday and missed the parade.  Beverly, Brian and Eric drove back to Texas on Wednesday.  An
 11 hr drive non-stop at 70 - 80 mph.  Ugghh!

Annual Visit to Destin Florida

Our good old friends Brian and Sandy have a big beautiful new comfortable house on the golf course in Sandestin.  Along with another couple, Steve and Linda, we meet there every year.  We have been doing this for the past 12+ years.

Forty years ago when we were in our late 20s and early 30s we had many very good times together and we rehash all those memorable events every year.  Each year each couple prepares a dinner.  I've done Jennifer Shrimp, King Crab, Crab Souffle, tenderloin and several others that don't come to mind right now--(an irritating development). This year I'm making Meatball Stew a la Giada DeLaurentis with my own twist.  I saw her make it on TV two weeks ago and I tried it. But, I added lots of green chilis to it because we had enjoyed the Green Chili stew at The Cross-eyed Moose in Cloudcroft NM.  It turned out so good that I made it again this week and we're having it for dinner tonight.  We'll be having it again next Saturday night.


Here are the meatballs I just made along with Beverly's choc chip cookies and some libation we will be indulging in when we get there.

 Too bad you can't see the deviled eggs,...............but,

Here's a pic of a little girl showing her G'Dad
how she can wink.  That beats deviled eggs anyday.