SEVEN DAYS OF SQUEEDUNK: DAYS 3 and 4

Hubby's holding one of several humorous signs sent by his big brother.

Well, we weren't very far into Day 2's Jammy adventure before we got a call that required my getting dressed and hopping into the car, but at least it was for a happy reason. The Wimberley Cafe called to say "Guess what? We're gonna have that apple pie for you today after all, and it'll be ready in 45 minutes!" I was going to leave John home in his jammies while I ran to get it, but he said "Ah well, we might as well both go, and have brunch while we're there." Great idea Snookems! We did, however, come straight back home afterwards, put our jammies back on, and spent the rest of the day binge-watching a new Netflix series called Virgin River. And, of course, there was pie!

Day 3 ran into snags as well (do you see a pattern forming here?). It was supposed to be "Hanging at the Bookstore Day", using up a gift card I have on the both of us and spending some time in the cafe with our purchases and a hot beverage. However, when I got the call that daughter Lex had developed a case of mastitis, and was running a fever -- on the day her hubby was supposed to head back to work -- we decided instead to go grab Mr. Goobs and bring him to our house for a sleepover, so that she and Rowan could get the rest they needed.

If you have grandkids, or kids, or even pets, you know that the first one is the practice kid. And, ever since Calvin outgrew sleeping in a crib, where we could keep him contained, getting him to go to bed, and stay there, has been a problem. We'd tried every different combination of location and who he slept with, if anyone, until we finally figured out that the key was to wear him to a frazzle first. This time we took him on his first hike at Blue Hole Park, let him play on the playground there, then took him to Wimberley Cafe for his favorite dinner, their grilled cheese sandwich.

While I was waiting for the bill, Papa took Calvin next door to the new candy store, to try his first ever Tootsie Roll Pop. He liked it!

Soon as we got home we all got into our jammies and brushed our teeth, pulled open the sofa bed in the living room, and started up a good movie I had recorded for him. This time it was Paddington, and he was sawing logs within fifteen minutes, and stayed that way for 10 or 11 hours, never even noticing when Papa and I snuck back into our own bed! We started the movie up again the next morning, and boy, was he tickled to death when he discovered that I actually had some Paddington-style marmalade in my fridge for him to have with his breakfast, thanks to a dear friend down in Louisiana who is in his 90s, but still manages to make a batch every year using kumquats picked from his own trees!

So, day four was supposed to be our biggest adventure of the week, but when Hubby discovered that our rain tank was almost empty (we never got the fall rains that usually replenish it after our harsh summers) he had to call and order some water to be delivered, and take whatever day they gave him, since we couldn't risk running out altogether. So, instead of the adventure, he got to sit at home all day long, and of course, they didn't come until the very end of the day.

We're really on a roll now!

 

IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR

Six adults, two children, and one dog, for three days, in a two bedroom house? Believe it or not, we actually had a blast.

 

His Doing, Not Mine!

Wiggle Butts!

        Only Oculus VR could get John Lane dancing, by himself, with a roomful of people staring and laughing at him!

 Aunt Areej gave Calvin an accordion for Christmas...

and revealed a hidden talent we never knew about!

Best find of the season? Well, we decided to give Calvin a few accessories for his bare bones Brio train set, but those tiny little things come at a very dear price, so he wasn't getting much. So, imagine the Happy Dance I was doing, all around my favorite consignment store, when I stumbled upon this outfit, still in it's original package, for less than ten bucks!

Complete with a working pocket watch, schedule card, radio, and bandana!

Oh Happy Day!
 

MEANWHILE, DOWN HERE IN TEXAS...

While friends and relatives up north were struggling through this Polar Vortex thingy, we down south were doing this...

Dinner Al Fresco At Hays City Cafe

which I have to say is a bit crazy, even for Texas. Our problem is inconsistency. This winter we have swung back and forth from low-30's to mid-70s, and our plants and trees have tried to bud out so many times, only to then be thwarted by a hard freeze, that I think they've just given up altogether!

However, our northern friends needn't be jealous. As usual, I'm sure you will get your revenge come summer, when you are doing the things pictured above, while we bounce back and forth between scorching droughts and epic flooding rains. C'est la vie!

IT HAS BEGUN...

Happy Cedar Fever Season, Y'all!

 

THIS CHRISTMAS: ROUND ONE, BEFORE

This weekend was Christmas: Round One for us, where my three siblings and their families head down from Dallas, Ft. Worth, and beyond for an early Siblings Celebration, so that we can then all be home with our individual families or in-laws on Christmas day. It's been so long since we've had any small ones in the family, we'd forgotten what it was like! This year, not only is our little Goober Bear a rambunctious 2 1/2-year-old, but also my brother now has a couple of grands to add into the mix! Quite a change, let me tell you, but all for the better. Today I will just share with you a few pictures of the calm before the storm.

First to arrive? My nephew Kevin and his wife Goya, who not only left an expectant heifer just to be with us, but also hauled all the necessary equipment and a huge cooler full of shrimp, sausage and crab legs, so they could cook up an old-fashioned Cajun Shrimp Boil for our Christmas feast!

Is it any wonder I love my family so much?

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS IN WIMBERLEY

Click the link below to read about our first Christmas here at Seasonality.

FLASHBACK

 

THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH LAP ROBES...

is that they only cover one's lap!

Thankfully, today we're finally blessed with a day that began with temps above freezing!
 

GREETINGS FROM ATOP DAREDEVIL HILL

 
We're getting pretty good at handling all these "Jammie Days" we're being gifted with this year. Yesterday's came with rain and ice, so we couldn't have left home even if we'd wanted to. Believe me, we didn't.

Now Hubby is reading Origin, and I've moved on to The Fifth Season.

The Best Lap Blankets Ever Invented

Just swish the plunger up and down a few times for a nice head of foam on the milky beverage of your choice.

This morning it's only 16 F out, but this afternoon we should get about six hours of full sun, with temperatures slightly above freezing. Hopefully, that will be enough to clear our driveway of ice. Temps will go right back to being frigid after that brief reprieve, but at least we will no longer be housebound, and perhaps the FedEx truck will be able to make it up the hill with our Blue Apron delivery, which was supposed to arrive yesterday. Then we can make it into town to stock up on more logs! 

Know what's really bizarre? In just a few days we will be back up around 70 F, and I'll be wearing my flip-flops again.

Texas. Gotta love crazy to live here! 

HUNKERING DOWN

With temps down in the 20s all week, we decided to make it a "Hygge" kind of week. As I'm sure you've read by now -- it coming in second for "word of the year", beat out only by Brexit -- Hygge is the Scandinavian word for well-being, and also for the practice of creating a mood of coziness and conviviality, in order to survive their long, dark, frigid winters.

A Hearty Pot of Boeuf Bourguignon

So far we've had a couple of days that we declared to be "Jammie" days, where we lit a fire and stayed in our PJs all day long. We've cooked some delicious, stick-to-your-ribs food, started watching some fun new series on Netflix and Acorn, and we've read lots of good books.

I even gave myself permission to leave my little tree up a bit longer than usual, as it really added to the warm, cozy atmosphere.

I especially enjoyed it first thing in the morning, sitting in an otherwise dark room, sipping my first cup of hot tea.

Pretty much the only "work" I did, other than cooking, was to finish up a few art projects. Now, I just need to get my art table cleared off so I can start the year with a clean slate, so to speak, before jumping into my next project.

Just about the only thing that was worth leaving the house for was this little dude.

Now we know where his phone habit came from. Apparently Papa John even let him send his first text, and take his first selfie!

Most exciting event of the week occurred yesterday morning, when I finally headed into town. I stopped at the bottom of the driveway to set the trash out for pick-up, and spotted something white out of the corner of my eye. My first frost flower!

Then I saw another.

And another! They were everywhere, under every clump of trees, and all along the fence rows.

 

Now that was definitely worth leaving the house for!