Home Sweet Texas....

We got back from our trip late last night........ Maine was very pretty, but as always, there's no place like home.

In all, we saw twenty lighthouses... two of which were in Canada. We crossed over into Canadian at two separate places, to see lighthouses on the Canadian side. We could've kept going and going, but the trip was long enough. So many lighthouses, so many lobsters, so much blueberry pie. And forgive me, but I still think the lobsters we get here are just as good as the ones we got up in Maine....... and the ones here aren't so expensive.

Bar Harbor was my favorite town in Maine, and BoothBay Harbor was nice as well. All the little towns we stopped in were very quaint, very pretty...... and the views across the Atlantic were all beautiful. The biggest difference up there were the road signs.... or the lack of road signs. Their signs are very small, and if you miss the one you're looking for, you won't have a second chance because there won't be a duplicate sign. And the signs are small, so you have to pay attention.

One thing was strange--- we're used to waving to strangers and saying hello to everyone we pass along the way. Well, they just don't do that in Maine. Very few people waved back, and even fewer returned our "Hello" or "Good morning." And in one town, we asked three different local people for directions.... and got three totally different instructions on how to find a lighthouse.

I told my husband that the people in Maine must be a little bit cranky because all they have to look forward to is the winter. And I truly don't think they appreciate all the tourists during the pretty summer months because all the extra traffic clogs up their tiny two-lane roads. The people of Maine live with those lighthouses every day of the year, so maybe the thought of "outsiders" driving in for a look-see just doesn't set right with them.

I'd go back to Maine, but only if we went to one place and stayed there for a few days. All of that driving was just too much...... 1500 miles in ten days. A different motel or bed & breakfast every night. I told my husband that I felt as if I were living out of my purse and my suitcase for the whole trip, which I truly was.

And the whale-watching boat....... never, never, never again. Looking back now, I don't know how I stayed on that boat. Come to think of it, I have no blessed idea why I agreed to get on that boat in the first place. But on the bright side of that..... while we were in Canada and looking at a lighthouse, I saw a whale out in the ocean as it surfaced for a breath of air. (And it didn't cost fifty dollars for a boat-ride.)

We flew SouthWest Airlines....... and had delays both going and coming home. We fly SouthWest a lot, and this is the first time we've had such problems, but the delays made for long trips. On the way north, we had to fly from here to Chicago, then to Baltimore, then to Hartford... then we rented a car and drove up to Maine. On the way home, we went from Hartford to Baltimore, then got delayed for two hours there before being able to fly home. But at least we didn't have to criss-cross half the eastern shore before flying west. I swear, air travel is just getting too, too stressful and complicated these days.

Nice to be home, as always. Our pet/house-sitter took such great care of Gracie and the cats while we were away. The house was neat and tidy, and our young friend C and her mom came over and left us fresh-baked muffins for our breakfast this morning.

As Dorothy said in "The Wizard of Oz........" --- There's no place like home.... there's no place like home........... there's no place like home.

Maine Lighthouses

As I type, we're in a tiny Maine library.... I think the name of the town is Lubec. We've been in so many towns in the past week that I can't remember them all. This town is right across from the Canadian border.

Right after the closing on our lake cottage back home, we left for this trip. It had been planned before we bought the cottage, so we just went ahead with the trip. And what an adventure.... so far, we have seen fifteen lighthouses-- 14 in Maine, and one that we saw tonight that is just over the little bridge here which leads to Canada.

We may just drive across the bridge to Canada tomorrow. We didn't bring our passports, but they told us we just need a driver's license with our photo on it, which of course we have.

Most of the days have been spent in the car, driving and driving on a two-lane road for the most part.... then (whoopee!) the road spreads out to four lanes.... but those parts are few and far between. My husband loves the lighthouses..... I like them, but wish they weren't all so far apart. This has been a very long trip, and I truly get home-sick for our own house, and my cats, and Gracie. But we've been having a good time, and that's the important part.

Now for the worst part of the trip.... we took a boat ride yesterday to go whale-watching. Big mistake on my part. I don't do well on the water, and I surely didn't do well yesterday. When we left the dock, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, the water was calm. But when we got 25 miles out into the Atlantic, all of that changed. Cloudy sky, lots of winds, rough water. Half of the people on the boat got sick, and I was one of them. And, just I do everything else, it seems, I got sick rather neatly. My husband had a large plastic cup that was empty (from his soda) and that was a great receiver for my lunch.

And wouldn't you know it.... just as I got sick, there came the whales. I missed them all, except for the tail of one, as it went below the surface of the water. I was shaking so hard, the last thing I really wanted to see was anything in the water. My husband held onto me... I told him that if he left my side, I'd toss his camera overboard.

But we made it back to the dock just fine, and the sun was again shining there, and sky was blue, the water was calm. So unlike the deeper part of the ocean where the whales hang out. It was a lesson for me....... something that I knew all along--- I just don't get along with the water. Especially the ocean, I guess. Which rules out going on a cruise, which we had talked about doing at some point.

The library is closing... got to run.....

Home Sweet Cottage.......

We had the closing today on the lake cottage..... we met the sellers, and if they weren't moving out of the area, I'm sure we'd be inviting them to join our Charades group. We could tell that they'll be missing that little house. After the closing, we all went back to the cottage and they walked us through the house and told us everything we needed to know about every blessed thing on the property. Lots of good information for us, and we were happy they wanted to take the time.

We also met some of the neighbors on the street..... one who lives there all year round, and another "weekender." Both were very friendly, and happy to meet "the new people."

We'll have to get the utilities straightened out when we go up to the cottage again. I thought we could just transfer the accounts over the phone..... I called from the cottage, and I spoke to the utility companies, and so did the seller. No way to transfer anything over the phone.... has to be done in person. And there wasn't time to take care of that before the offices closed this afternoon at five o'clock. When we get up there with our truck full of stuff, we'll have to take care of the water and the electricity and the gas. A little glitch, but an easy one to take care of.

So peaceful up there....... and breezes were blowing in from the lake....... the owners told us that the depth of the water by our bulkhead is 14 feet, and when you get towards the center of the cove, it's about 21 feet deep. Which is good for me to know--- no way for me to jump in there and be able to touch bottom, that's for sure. (As if I'd be putting my head under the water anyway.)

Waterfront....... lakefront....... can't believe that we now own that wonderful piece of property. Miss C and her mom are now in Florida, and while we were driving home from the lake, my cell phone rang and it was C....... their plane had just landed and she was calling to ask "Is the closing all over now? Is it ours? Is the cottage really ours?" She was so excited when I told her that everything went just fine and I had the keys to the cottage (and her cabin) in my purse.

Miss C's Chocolate Mousse.... and Miss Gracie

We went to C's house tonight after dinner, to have a special dessert.... delicious, rich, thick, homemade chocolate mousse. C made it herself, and she had some huge ripe strawberries for the top of each dessert cup. A nice surprise for tonight...... and a way to wish C and her mom a happy trip. They leave for Florida tomorrow, for a visit with C's grandfather.

When they come back, the closing will have taken place on Mayberry Cottage. C is just itching to get her little cabin all decorated. And I'm itching to get the cottage all decorated, so I know just how she feels.


My husband and I picked up Gracie from the vet's office late this afternoon. Poor Gracie... she was wobbly on her feet when we got her, but she went straight to my husband and got as close to him as she could. I don't know if she has forgiven me for taking her to the vet this morning... seems that I'm always the one taking her there, but that's just how it goes.

Gracie's eye looks just a little bit different.... you can see the tiny cut on the upper lid.... and there are a couple of teeny stitches there, which will dissolve in time. By tomorrow, she should be more or less back to her normal happy self. Takes a while for the anesthesia to wear off, and she's still feeling a little sleepy. Her legs aren't going in the same direction all at once yet, but that should get back to normal tomorrow as well. Dogs have such trust in their owners... following them wherever they're led..... poor Gracie probably thought she was just going for a ride in the car this morning. Which of course she was, but had she known the car would be stopping at the vet's office, I doubt very much she would've gotten in the back seat so eagerly.

Poor Gracie... it's so hard to see her not feeling well. And the house sure is quiet without her happy barking. The cats must know she's been to the vet's...... they're inching up slowly towards her, but not getting too close. (Must be the medicinal smell from the anesthesia.) Mickey Kitty keeps walking up to Gracie, sitting down across from her, and then he just stares at Gracie for the longest time. ShadowBaby got up close to Gracie's face when we first brought her home, and sort of sniffed Gracie's face near her eye. Gracie couldn't even move her head away from ShadowBaby's whiskers, so we put all the cats out on the screen-porch now so Gracie could get a good rest.

Tuesday Morning Surprise

I was getting ready to take our dog Gracie to the vet this morning, and our young friends C and L rode up the driveway on their bicycles and parked them by the back door. As soon as I heard Gracie barking, I knew it was the girls.... that dog has a distinct bark for friends that she recognizes, and whenever C comes over, Gracie has a quick and happy bark.

The girls came over without having breakfast, so I quickly scrambled-up some eggs and made toast for them. We've seen C every week, but it's been a while since we saw her friend L, so it was really nice to see the girls together again. L hadn't seen the pictures of Mayberry Cottage, so while I took Gracie to the vet's office, my husband showed L all the photos of the cottage and the lake. I'm sure that C showed L my sitting room in all its present glory--- filled with furniture and boxes for Mayberry. Young C is very proud of me these days, just because I have a "cluttered and not-so-neat" sitting room. I told her to take a good look, because once we move all this stuff up to Mayberry, she will once again be seeing a very neat room.

As for the vet.... poor Gracie didn't know she was going in to see "Uncle Todd" for a minor operation this morning. She had a bubble of skin growing near her left eye.... been there for a few months now, but it didn't seem to be bothering her at all. Last week, I noticed that the bubble had grown in size.... time to see the vet about that. So that's where we were heading early this morning...... and no breakfast for Gracie, since I was hoping that Todd could take care of it today if it needed to be done.

And that's what happened...... he told us the "bubble" would continue to grow, but they're usually just simple benign tumors. The larger the bubble, the harder it is to remove, so it's better to get it out while it's very small. Being that I didn't let Gracie eat anything this morning, he was able to keep her there and remove the tiny tumor. Poor Gracie.... she was trying to hide behind my legs... trying to get out of the door..... very sad to watch, but it had to be done. She'll be ready to come home this afternoon, as soon as the anesthesia wears off.

Saturday Night Chinese... Sunday Afternoon Gelato

We went out for dinner last night, with young C and her parents.... to one of the local Chinese restaurants. Great food, but this restaurant is always noisy. Not that it's over-packed with customers, but the kitchen is open for all to see, so you get the cooking noises as well as the conversations between the chefs. The restaurant decor is all tile and marble, nothing soft to mute the sounds, so that makes for more noise as well. But a lot of the larger restaurants here are like that..... we just get used to it. (But more often than not, we go to the smaller, quieter restaurants.)

While we were in the restaurant, a small television in the corner of the room was tuned in to the Astros baseball game... they were up 2 - 0 when we sat down at our table. When we got back to our house, C turned on the television to see how her beloved Craig Biggio was doing, and the Astros were up 12 - 0, or something like that. We all sat down and watched the end of the game-- as if we thought the Astros would be losing at the end of the ninth inning?

During the last couple of innings, C went through a huge basket of shells that I had bought at a yard sale. I picked out some of the larger ones, to use as decorations around the living room of the cottage, and I told her she could have the rest of them. She's planning to make some sort of shell-sculpture, or she may glue the shells to a small bookcase that I found at a yard sale. She can barely contain herself these days, just waiting for the day we can move everything up to Mayberry.

I plan to take my watercolors up to Mayberry, and I'm bringing up some of my favorite books. We aren't getting cable service or a television for the cottage. As my husband says... we want to keep Mayberry as "a place to be, just be." (And that doesn't include sitting in front of a TV screen.) We're not even getting a telephone installed, since I have my cell-phone and we can just use that when we need it. Once we get everything moved in and arranged, and after I put the finishing touches on every room, I plan to draw and sketch and get back to practicing with the watercolors. And then there's the view....... just sitting there in the backyard swings and looking at the birds and the ducks and that glorious view of the lake. We can all hardly wait.

This afternoon, I took young Miss C to the Italian gelato shop, along with my friend A's niece L, who is visiting from NY. Next week is going to be so busy, and I wanted to make sure to get a chance to see L before she goes back home to NY. C and L are just a couple of years apart in age, and the two girls have a good time when they're together. Today was a spur-of-the-moment idea, being that I had a couple of hours that wasn't occupied with packing and boxing for the cottage. The three of us had a nice time at the gelato shop..... L opened up her birthday gifts, and I gave C a small gift because she passed her driving course this weekend. She is now an "official" Texas driver, but until her next birthday, she will still need an adult, licensed driver in the passenger seat of any car that she drives. I knew she would be a "natural" driver.... I just knew it.

On the way home from the gelato shop, we stopped at Sonic to get my husband a strawberry slush...... and C and I found out that L hadn't ever had a Sonic burger before. (They don't have Sonics up in NY.) So I got both of the girls a "Wacky-Pack," as it's called...... a small burger, fries, and a strawberry slush, plus there's a toy surprise in each of the packs. This week's surprise was a light-up-in-the-dark Frisbee. C and L were hilarious in the car..... laughing and giggling about the Wacky-Packs. C said she usually gets a Wacky-Pack at Sonic because the portions aren't too big, plus just saying Wacky-Pack makes her laugh.

Our dear Miss Frankie was so right years ago....... she always said that an easy way to stay young was to surround yourself with young-at-heart people who knew how to laugh. I can still hear you laughing, Frankie. To this day, I can hear you laughing. We miss you still, and young Miss C talks about you all the time.

Saturday Yard Sales

These yard-sale weekends are wearing me out...... I don't know if it's getting up at 5:30 that's making me tired, or the early morning heat that's doing it. But on the bright side, the sales were worth the trouble this morning, so that was a good thing.

I found an outdoor table and chairs for Mayberry.... white wrought-iron-- a round table with four chairs. The table needs to be spray-painted, but the chairs are just fine.... the whole set was just ten dollars. Again, I had to make two trips to get it all home, but the yard sale was just a few blocks away, so that wasn't too bad.

I also found a small bookcase for C's Cabin..... all wood, three shelves, and it hasn't been painted so she can leave it as it is, or paint it whatever color she likes. That was just three dollars, and it's the perfect size for her cabin. Another sale had a beautiful wicker and wrought iron chair that I can use on the porch at the cabin.... one perfect chair, for one dollar.

So many pieces of furniture out there today, but most of it wasn't cottage-style, so I left it all where it was. There was even another kitchen set this morning, but the one we found yesterday was more lake-house style than the one today. I found a beautiful set of bedding.... comforter and pillows, all new and un-used..... the lady said it was a gift and the colors didn't match her bedrooms. Perfect for the cottage guest room..... light blue and green on an ivory background..... very un-fussy, un-frilly. So that's all packed up as well. The boxes just keep on multiplying like rabbits.

Friday Yard Sales

Last week, we figured we would need a 10-foot rental truck to get all of this stuff up to Mayberry Cottage. After today's yard sales, we're thinking a 14-foot truck might be the way to go.

We had a busy morning..... since we were both up so early (before 6 a.m.) my husband decided to come with me to the sales. Off we went at 6:30........and went and went back once again. Three trips, to get everything from the sales to our house.

First, we found a kitchen table and four chairs, plus an old "hope" chest..... everything for $20, thanks to my husband's bargaining with the girl having the yard sale. The chairs are in excellent condition, and can always be used for extra chairs. The table is in okay-condition, and smaller than we would like...... so when we find a larger table, this small one can go either on the screen porch, on one of the open porches, or in the living room to use as a game table. It's a drop-leaf table, so when it's closed up, it hardly takes up any room at all. And for the price.... we couldn't just leave it there.

My husband also found a leather chair for his home office here... beautiful swivel-chair of burgundy-colored leather, with those metal-tacks running along the edges... great condition, for only ten dollars. Honestly, people were giving things away today...... must have been the heat. I swear it was over 100 degrees before 8:30 this morning.

The "hope" chest was a steal...... it needs some work, like a new wood top, but for now, I can cover the character-filled, aged look of the top with pillows and it will make a great window seat. Again, for the price, we were happy to have found it. The girl having that sale held everything for us while we drove home to empty out the car, then we had to go back to her house for the rest of it.

Getting the table home was the last thing we did--- it didn't fit into the back seat of my husband's car, and we couldn't even get it in the trunk without taking off the legs, and we didn't want to take the time to do that. We ended up putting it on the roof of the car, with the legs sticking up towards the sky. After my husband got into the passenger seat, I tilted the table just a bit so he could grab hold of one of the legs. And that's how we drove slowly home... with his hand holding that table leg. As we turned onto our street, we saw our pet-sitter's car in front of our house, with the pet-sitter himself standing in the middle of our street, waiting for us. He had seen us driving along one of the roads, and figured we would need some help once we got home, so he was here waiting to help us. After we showed him what we found at today's sales, he has vowed to start going to the local yard sales.

My husband and young Miss C drove back to Galveston today, to pick up the wood-boat bookcase that we bought yesterday (but couldn't fit into our car). C's mom has a truck, so it fit in there nicely, and they (my husband and C) had lunch out on The Island before coming back. They also stopped at the SPCA out there, to have a look-see at the puppies. They saw some cute ones (of course) but thankfully, they just looked. (Jeez.... that's all we would need right now-- a new puppy.)

While my husband was out in Galveston, I drove into League City for a haircut, and I stopped to look around J's antique shop. I found a bunch of things (at great prices from the dealers)...... an old ship's kerosene lamp (which we will fill with lamp oil..... it even has the original glass in it). Also found a wooden lighthouse, and a cute little iron table with a tiled top decorated with teapots.... it will make a nice accent table in the kitchen. Also found a hand-carved wood table for the living room... very Island-y, tropical-looking.... and very light wood, so that will be great in there as well.

So many more "new" things for Mayberry. We're finding more every day.... and it's piling up here, in the garage, my sitting room, and now the spill-over is in the TV room and even the living room. Oh well..... once we get the truck, it will all be out of here and the house will be back to normal. (And that just can't be too soon for my sweet, prissy AngelBoy.... I can just imagine his little blue-eyed face when he comes out from under our bed and sees that boat-bookcase in the living room.)

Shopping for Mayberry

My husband and I spent most of this afternoon driving to some local waterfront shops in the Kemah/Seabrook/Bacliff area..... we were looking for nautical accents that weren't too beach-looking.

We found lots of stuff in the Kemah and Seabrook shops, but because of the tourist attractions there, the prices were much too high. (Do the tourists really buy all that stuff at those prices?)

In Bacliff, we found a shop owned by one of the dealers who used to sell in our friend J's antique co-op. The name of her store is called "Junk and Disorderly." It is indeed just that-- disorderly. But it's also a lot of fun to poke around in. However, because the building is so huge, the owner can't afford an air-conditioning system large enough to cool it. So there we were today, inside this hot building..... over 100 degrees outside, and surely more than that inside. We found a few interesting things that we're thinking about, but we didn't buy anything.

Off to Galveston we went...... across the bridge and over to the Island, headed for a nautical shop that we've been to a couple of times before. We never bought anything there because we just didn't have anyplace to put that stuff. Now, however, that's what we're looking for.

We bought a wonderful old life-preserver to hang on a wall...... very vintage, with interesting markings on it. There were at least fifty to pick from, and we just looked through all of them to find one with the best name on it. We also bought two fishing nets...... one for the cottage, and one for C's cabin. I'm sure C will be hanging her shell collection on her net. I don't know what we'll do with ours, but we will find a good spot for it.

My husband also found a wonderful old boat that was made into a bookcase. This isn't one of the new ones that you buy in Target or Wal-Mart, but a really old boat that looks like it has a lot of history and stories behind it. A great find, and we bargained with the shop's owner and got it for less than the asking price. The boat/bookcase wouldn't fit in our car, so my husband is going back tomorrow to get it...... using C's mom's truck to pick it up.

While we were looking at tables and chairs in the Galveston shop, we found a beautiful carved bust of a woman... she looks to be from one of the Caribbean Islands, with such an expressive and kind face. I saw the statue first, but didn't say anything because we were supposed to be looking for furniture and nautical items today. But as we were walking away from the statue, my husband turned around and put his hand on the statue and said "You like this, don't you?" I told him I did, and he picked it up and said "I knew it." So he bought that as well. We've named her Minerva, because she reminded us of the voodoo-priestess in Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil.

On the way back from Galveston, we stopped at another antique/resale shop in League City, owned by another friend of ours. I found a great kitchen table there, but we didn't like the chairs that went with it. If we buy that table, we'd have to hunt around for chairs. We ran into the owner of that shop, and she let us look around in her warehouse, and I found a nice sideboard for Mayberry's country-kitchen. Both the table and the sideboard are the same wood, and they're from the same period, so they would look great together..... but we'd still have to find chairs. So we're thinking about those two things for a bit, before we commit to buy them.

And tomorrow is a yard sale day, and so is Saturday..... so I may just find something at the sales. Our house here is getting a bit crowded with all the stuff we've found for Mayberry Cottage, but that's fine. I'm glad we didn't have a summer party planned, with all this extra stuff around.

I saw our neighbor across the street yesterday, and I was telling her about Mayberry. She was happy for us, and can't wait to drive up there to visit when we get it all set up. ML also gave me a comfy club-chair and ottoman that she had from her old living room set. Nothing wrong with the chair.... she just wanted to change her furniture. Her daughters took most of the other pieces, but they didn't have room for this one big chair and ottoman. ML told me I was welcome to have it for Mayberry. It's a perfect reading chair, so I told her we'd be happy to have it. What great neighbors we have.

Birthday Coupons

I spent most of the day with young Miss C today..... we used some of her birthday coupons that I gave her when she turned 15 in March.

We went to the bookstore first....... she had a coupon for two books. She only found one, so we'll go back at some point so she can look for another book. Then I had given her a coupon for two items from the "Old Navy" clothing store, so that was our next stop. What an adventure that was...... I hadn't been in that store before, but C felt right at home and she quickly found a bunch of things to try on.

C insisted that I find something to try on also, so I took some tops and shorts into the dressing room. What a mistake...... those sizes weren't meant for women, they're meant for kids. I told C that I wasn't young enough for all those frayed cuffs and muted colors, with beads and fringe hanging from every other seam. C found two nice tops for herself, and that's what we went there for, so that was a success.

After that, I decided to stop in at the shoe store. I hadn't been there for a while, and I wanted to get a comfy pair of flats that weren't open sandals. I found the perfect pair of soft moccasins, and C loved them so much also that she asked if she could get the same shoes in her own size. Luckily, they had her size. When she tried them on, she jumped up and down in them and declared them "the perfect shoes for the lake cottage."

We drove to the Italian gelato shop, and had that for a quick lunch before coming back home. When we got to C's house, her parents weren't home yet from their own errands, so we left a note there for them and we came back to our house. My husband was back from his meetings, and after C showed him everything we bought, he suggested we all get into the car for a surprise.

I had no idea where we were going, but off we went, driving towards League City. No matter how many times C and I tried to guess where we were going, neither of us came up with the right destination....... a motorcycle shop.

My husband got a motorcycle license back in the spring-time, but never bought a motorcycle. I thought he had forgotten about it, or just felt like getting the license but not getting a bike. Wrong. He was just too busy with all the lake-cottage searching..... but he had been looking on the Internet for bikes, and asking people where he works.

Today, one of his co-workers told him about a motorcycle for sale...... the right make, the right size engine, low mileage, low price. He told him where he could see it, and off we all went. Well, you had to see Miss C's face when my husband told the man he'd take the bike. I'm sure the look of surprise on her face only matched my own...... my husband usually takes longer to make up his mind about something, but this bike seemed to be a good deal since he knew the person selling it. And the motorcycle looks brand new, and "fit" him somehow, without looking too big or too small. This will be a motorcycle-for-one...... I told my husband that my days of sitting on the back of a bike are long gone.

Still, the motorcycle will get a thorough check, tune-up, everything else...... and it will be ready in a couple of weeks. The motorcycle shop has just one man working on everything--- he can't find anyone to help him, so he's a bit behind schedule on all the repairs and checks.

After the motorcycle shop, the three of us went to C's favorite Chinese Buffet restaurant to celebrate, so that was our early dinner. What a summer this is turning out to be...... first Mayberry, now a motorcycle.

Lost "Pets"

This happens all the time..... large posters and small signs are put up on the light-posts and stop signs in our subdivision, asking that lost dogs and cats be returned to their owners. We're a very pet-friendly community, so mostly all lost pets are returned to their homes. During the summer months, however, those "lost pet" signs are not for dogs and cats... they're for every other critter known to man, and my guess is that the local teenagers have found creative ways to use their vacation time.

This morning, I saw a sign that read: "Lost bird. Lots of feathers, tiny beak, skinny legs. Children heartbroken. Please call...."

Within a week now, I will bet that other lost "pet" signs will appear on other posts around the neighborhood. When one pops up, others are sure to follow, with the local teens trying to out-best the other signs.

Some of the ones I remember from last summer:

"Lost gekko. Mint green in color. Walks funny. Answers to Brutus."

"Lost duck. White feathers, yellow beak. Will sit in front of TV waiting for Aflac commercials."

"Found turtle. Very shy, stays in shell except when we're eating McDonald's fries."

"Found squirrel. Can't keep him because the dog thinks it's a squeaky-toy. Please call...."

"Lost alligator. Six-feet long, snores in his sleep. Last seen in Armand Bayou seven months ago... so he might be eight-feet long by now. Answers to Precious."

Love Those Yard Sales!

I was up before dawn again today, determined to get to as many yard sales as I could. Before I got to the first one, the sky opened up and it started pouring rain, but I kept going. I know from experience that you can find some of the best things on a rainy day, because a lot of yard-salers won't go out in the rain.

The best find today was a 1940's coffee table, gorgeous two-tone wood, made by the Lane furniture company. The coffee table is perfect for the cottage because it's not too fussy, just beautiful details in the smooth wood table-top. And the price.... just ten dollars, for goodness sake. The girl who was selling it told me it belonged to her husband's mother, which I didn't doubt. Finding a 1940's anything in such good condition is a rare find.

I also bought a mirror, new in design and sort of modern, but plain enough to use in either our bedroom or the guest room. Ten dollars for that also, but it's a fairly large mirror and will be perfect for over a dresser.

At the last sale I went to (on my own street.... a surprise when I got home.... my neighbor must have started her sale after the rain quit).... I found a four-drawer desk. Maple in color, and a nice sturdy desk which can be used for Miss C's cabin. I thought we'd put it in the reading room, but my husband pointed out that it's a little on the small size, which it is. But it's perfect for C, and she's already staked a claim on it..... she and her dad stopped over here on their way home from yard sales, so I showed it to her. That child is jumping up and down over every little thing, I swear. The last time I've seen her this excited is when we took her downtown to see "The Nutcracker" ballet last Christmas. (And even then, she wasn't jumping up and down like she is now.)

I also found some lighthouses at my neighbor's yard sale.... made of porcelain, and each one has a picture frame built into the porcelain design, and the lighthouse itself holds a votive candle. There were two of them, both in black & white porcelain, so I bought both. When I got home, I put a picture of Gary's mom in one of them, and a picture of Frankie in the other one. They will look great in the living room of the cottage.... which is where we'll hang the lighthouse tapestry that my husband found at last week's sales.

When Miss C was here this morning, she peeked into my sitting room to see what I had packed for Mayberry. She couldn't believe her eyes.... not only at the amount of boxes and furniture in here, but just for the mere fact that my sitting room wasn't "as neat and tidy" as it usually is. I think that child was actually proud of me for being able to have such a cluttered room for a change. I told her the cluttered state-of-affairs in this room won't last too much longer.

At an estate sale today, I found a very pretty painted dresser. It had originally been bird's-eye maple, but the owner painted it beige and antiqued it with tiny flowers. A nice paint job, but once you paint antique furniture, you take away its value. The lady wanted $150 for it, then she went down to $100..... the highest I wanted to pay was $50, so I walked away from it. It would've been great in the guest room, but I can buy brand new wicker for less than the price she wanted for that dresser. And with all the yard sales around, I'm bound to find something for less money.

I think all the packing and piles of boxes in my sitting room is starting to get to AngelBoy. That cat doesn't like when things are moved around in the house, and believe me, he notices every little thing. For the past two days now, AngelBoy has been walking around the house with his favorite red ribbon in his mouth, meowing all the way, looking for attention. Yesterday while I was doing laundry, my husband came and got me, asking me to go to AngelBoy because he wouldn't stop meowing. I found AngelBoy underneath a chair in the living room, the red ribbon right in front of him, meowing for all he was worth.

That red ribbon is his security blanket, I think. He's been playing with that same ribbon since he was a baby. Just a red-and-white-checked ribbon that's tied into a bow.... it used to be on one of our Christmas trees..... AngelBoy plucked it off the tree and he's been carrying it around the house ever since. I keep telling AngelBoy that we're not moving, that everything is okay, that the sitting room will be cleared out as soon as possible. I don't think he believes me. Poor cat.... he's such a sweet, prissy little thing.

Cottage Stuff

I spoke to the current owner of the lake house today. Very nice lady, sad to be leaving their home there, but really excited to be moving closer to their new grandbaby. She will be fixing up another vacation getaway, so she won't be selling any of the furniture that's in the lake house now. Which means we will have to buy a bed for the master bedroom right away, when we take everything else from here to there.

We'll also have to buy a fridge, because the sellers are taking that as well, along with the washer/dryer. I was hoping they would leave those large appliances, but they had said from the beginning that those items wouldn't be included in the sale. So that makes two things on the must-get-right-away list.... a bed and a fridge. The washer/dryer can wait a while... I can just bring laundry home and wash it here.

I was hoping to buy the sofas that she had in the living room there, but at least I know what sort of style can work nicely in that large room. One day at a time.... it will be an adventure furnishing Mayberry, starting with everything here that we'll be taking up there. I already have enough small tables and lamps, plus all my wicker chairs.... we'll just have to look for the larger pieces of furniture once we get there.

We got a phone call from our young Miss C late this afternoon. She is home from Girl Scout camp, and called us less than ten minutes after getting into her house. She's still all excited about the cottage, and asked me if the closing would be sooner than we thought. That child can't wait to get up there and decorate her cabin, in her "beach-y" theme.

Before C left for camp, I asked her if she wanted a guest book for her cabin.... I had an extra one here when I asked her that. I know she has always loved our guest book for the house here, and she has never failed to sign her name whenever she comes here. It's been nice over the years, to see how her handwriting has changed as she's grown.

Miss C's eyes lit up when I asked her if she wanted her own guest book for her cabin, and she jumped up and down when I gave it to her. C is also excited about planting the flowers for Miss Frankie... she has already found a special place in Mayberry's garden, to plant the Morning Glory seeds. I had given packets of Morning Glory seeds to Frankie's friends in our Charades group after she passed away. Miss C never planted her seeds because she could never find "the perfect special place." The flower garden faces the open water of the lake, so the flowers will be facing west. Miss Frankie's flowers will see the magic of the sunsets.

Miss Frankie would've loved Mayberry.

Johnny Depp and His Pirates

We went to an early movie today, to see the latest Pirates of The Caribbean movie. We got to the theatre half an hour before the movie-time, but that first show was already sold out. (What? That early in the morning?) They were selling tickets for the next showing, starting just half an hour later, so we got in line for that one.

Last night at midnight, the same theatre was open for a special showing of Pirates. We asked the young man selling tickets if that show was sold out and he said there were just a few empty seats last night. I guess Jack Sparrow and his pirates are more popular here than we thought.

The movie was filled with special effects, but nothing that was too bloody or too gory. After all, it's a Disney film, so that's a guarantee that it won't be anything too, too awful. No one but Johnny Depp can pull off the slightly-lisping, slightly-swaying swagger of Jack Sparrow. Just watching him in that role makes you laugh. Of course, the ending of this movie sets you up for the next film in the series.

We had lunch at the local Thai restaurant afterwards.... and even after lunch was over, we still felt like we were on a "rush" after that movie. Glad to have seen it.... it was a nice break from packing, which I'm still doing. I swear, if my sitting room gets any more crowded with stuff, I won't be able to sit in here and type.

I took all the wicker furniture from the porch today and cleaned it up, making it Mayberry-ready, and now it's all in my sitting room. Instead of having vintage wicker chairs for their naps, our cats now have the outdoor furniture on the screen-porch. Just as comfy, with pretty green cushions, so they shouldn't miss the wicker all that much. Except for AngelBoy, who always knows when I rearrange things in and around this house. He has given the porch a once-over, gazing from end to end with those baby-blue eyes of his. I guess he approves... I haven't heard a meow of discontent. Yet.

Trade Days

We went into League City today...... haircut for my husband, and while he was doing that, I went into J's antique shop to trade some Victorian items for cottage-style things. I've done this twice now... taking decorative things from my house that I can't use at the lake-house...... and trading them for country-styled items for the cottage. There are just too many things around this house, so taking some of them away is a blessing.

I brought half a dozen vintage beaded purses to L at J's shop today..... she was happy to get them, saying that she hardly ever finds vintage purses at the estate sales these days. (That's because so many of them are on display here in my sitting room.) I traded the purses for a vintage box made from cedar...... a large, beautiful handmade box with tiny drawers in it. Could be a jewelry box, could be a stationery box... and it could just sit on a table and look cottage-y. The top of the cedar box has painted birds on it.... extraordinary craftsmanship.

We got a phone call from C's mom today.... she just bought a new set of pots and pans, and is giving us her old set for the cottage.... which means I won't have to look for cookware for Mayberry. (You mean I have to cook at the lake....?) So that's another thing off of my list.

After taking care of the errands today, we went to Babbo Bruno's for dinner. We got there earlier than usual, and we were the only ones in the restaurant. When I see that restaurant so empty, it makes me wonder why the owner is wanting to move into a bigger restaurant with a larger kitchen and more staff. We're both hoping that his new-and-improved business venture won't be his downfall. I will hate it when he leaves that small and cozy location.... and I'm sure the owner is hoping that his regular patrons will follow him to the new place.

My sitting room is getting cramped. As I sit at my desk and look in front of me, all is as it should be.... nice and neat and Victorian-looking. If I turn around in my chair, I see a full third of this room filled with stuff for Mayberry--- lamps and shades, pictures and mirrors, small tables and two white rattan chairs, boxes of books, bags of towels and pillows... and heaven only knows what else in packed up behind me.

While we were out today, I saw a small truck that I thought would be the perfect size for us to rent for moving all of this stuff up to the lake. My husband saw the size of the truck and thought it was too big. I told him that he should take a closer look at the amount of things I have packed up for Mayberry... not just the stuff in my sitting room here, but the pile of boxes and wicker furniture that's all ready to go in the garage. He just has no idea how busy I've been this past month.

Mayberry Cardinals

We had a phone call yesterday from our realtor who helped us find our lake-front cottage. She told me that all is going along smoothly up there..... still waiting for the title work to be done, before we can schedule the closing on the property.

The last time we were up at Mayberry, I left a note for the current owners of the cottage, letting them know that we'd be interested in buying some of the furniture there, should they be wanting to sell any of it. Our realtor told us that the sellers are making a list of what they'd be willing to sell, and will call me when their list is complete. Hopefully, the items on their list will match the items I have on my list, and we will (again, hopefully) come to reasonable terms on the prices for the furniture.

I had also left the current owners a second note, asking them if they knew that there was a nest of cardinals in the potted ficus tree on their back porch. The ficus tree is in a corner of the open porch, next to the biggest window of the eat-in kitchen. Not only is there an active nest with eggs in it, but there is another nest there, which seemed to be empty. I wanted to make sure the sellers knew about the nest, so they wouldn't disturb the potted tree while they were packing up and moving out.

Well, not only did they know about the current active nest, but they asked their realtor to ask our realtor if we would mind if they left that ficus tree right where it was, because cardinals have been building nests in that tree for years now. The birds will either use a nest that's already there, after adding some personal touches to it, or they'll start a nest from scratch on another branch of the potted tree.

The sellers also told their realtor about the cat that's on the property. Poor cat looks awful, with a cloudy eye (looks like a cataract-- no pun intended), and it limps along on wobbly paws, and part of its fur has been cut away (probably got matted from not being brushed often enough, since the cat is long-haired). The sellers wanted us to know that the cat is healthier than he looks.... he's just as old as the hills, and they've taken him to the vet countless times for one thing or another over the years. Of course, we're praying that the sellers don't leave the cat there when they move out. Goodness knows, we've got enough cats........ and I don't need a lake-house cat up at Mayberry. There's also a dog there on the property-- he sleeps under the back deck in the heat of the day..... big old dog that once was probably a good hunting dog. But we don't need a dog up there, either...... and I know for a fact that Gracie would not be happy to find a canine companion in her lake-front kingdom.

When I talk to the sellers about the furniture, I may ask them about the cat and the dog. I'll have to think of how to diplomatically ask them if they're intending to take their pets with them when they leave the house. I should think they would. After all, if they're so concerned with the nest of cardinals, then surely they won't be wanting to abandon their dog and cat. (From my lips to the cat-god's ears.......)

July 4th

The morning started off cloudy and humid....... then the sun came out for a while and the day looked promising. My husband and I walked around the local high school track, as has been our daily routine except on the days that we went to the garage sales.

We were all set to go up to Kroger for grocery shopping, and I noticed that the sky was getting darker and darker. "Should we go?" asked my husband. "Nah." said I. (Any excuse will do, for me not to go grocery shopping.) Ten minutes later, the sky opened up and it started raining. It's been raining since.

We had leftovers for lunch (from last night's dinner at L and S's-- spinach enchilladas), and we just had some microwave-popcorn while watching the World Cup Soccer match (Italy against Germany). My husband likes soccer...... I personally don't care for sports. Except for baseball. How can you not love baseball?

We may go grocery shopping later. We may not. I'm sure I have things in the freezer than can be defrosted for dinner. And there's always cans of tuna and cans of soup in the pantry. And in a pinch, I'd be delighted to have oatmeal for dinner....... anything will do, just to avoid grocery shopping for another day. I'm all out of eggs...... almost out of salad stuff... nearly out of fresh fruit. If we don't get to Kroger today, then I really have to get there tomorrow. (Unless it rains.)

Speaking of eggs...... I was going to make an apple/peach cobbler yesterday to bring to L and S's for dessert last night. Looking through my (vintage and truly reliable) "Fanny Farmer Cookbook," I saw that the cobbler recipes called for one egg. Well, I didn't have one egg.... so I got to thinking.... how could I make a dessert with baked apples and peaches without have to use an egg.

Brainstorm..... I had frozen fillo dough..... I sliced up the apples and peaches, added a bit of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, dried blueberries, chopped pecans, and a bit of flour... mixed that all up and let it bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. Then I lined the baking pan with fillo dough.... poured in the half-baked fruit mixture, then put more fillo dough on top. I cut the dessert into squares (as I do with Greek spinach pie), brushed it with a bit of butter and put it back into the oven to finish baking. Came out nice and crisp and smelled delicious. After dinner at L's, I popped the baking dish into her oven and we had a great dessert.

Rainy Days

The rainclouds that arrived yesterday have decided not to leave just yet...... we had a cloudy drippy day yesterday, and more of the same today. According to The Chronicle, it will be like this for the rest of the week. Oh goodie.

Young Miss C is at Girl Scout Camp this week..... she was looking forward to this week of camp because the main activity was to be wakeboarding, which she dearly loves. She's old enough to be a counselor this year, so she will be in charge of some of the younger campers as well. I don't know if they'll get any wakeboarding in, the weather being what it is, but I'm sure she'll have fun just the same.

C's mom called this morning to invite us over tonight... she's making her spinach enchilladas again and wanted to know if we wanted to join her and C's dad for dinner. L made those enchilladas a couple of weeks ago and they were delicious, so of course we said yes. We would've said yes no matter what was on the menu. The four of us have a good time together, and I think we're all missing C while she's away at camp.

L is making the enchilladas and a big tossed salad, and I said I'd bring something over for dessert. I was going to get the grocery shopping done today, but with the rain out there, I haven't been motivated to go out. I hate grocery shopping anyway, and the rain only makes a bad thing worse. I looked through my pantry closet and found a box of brownie mix, a box of chocolate cake mix, and some gourmet mixes for scones. Each of those calls for eggs, which I don't have because that's one of the items on my grocery list. I could borrow an egg from V next door, but I just hate to borrow things. I could run out to Kroger's just for a dozen eggs, but I don't want to do that either.

Back to the pantry closet and the fridge to see what in there...... I've got fresh apples and peaches, nuts, raisins, oatmeal, brown sugar........ all the ingredients I need for a cobbler. So that's what I'll make this afternoon. It will be better anyway, healthier than the boxed mixes.

Stupid rain. I know we need it..... there are parts of Texas that are positively drought-stricken. So much rain day after day is just depressing, that's all. And I shouldn't even complain, being that so many states up in the northeast are dealing with flood situations. I'm sure those people wouldn't mind going out grocery shopping in a little bit of rain.

AngelBoy has been hiding under the bed since breakfast this morning. That cat hates the rain, hates the thunder, and doesn't even appreciate the sound of rain on the porch roof. Rain means wet and AngelBoy just doesn't like wet. Mickey Kitty doesn't like rain and thunder either, but as long as he's in the house, he's okay. If it's storming while he's out on the screen porch, he starts to cry.... a pitiful meow-ing cry that reminds my husband of the morning when he found Mickey Kitty in the park. It was just such a pitiful meow that made my husband go searching in the wildflowers for that stray kitten. It will soon be a full year that we added Mickey Kitty to the cat family here.

Hard to believe that it's been an entire year since my husband brought Mickey Kitty home. I can still remember the look on my husband's face when he told me he found a kitten. He had been telling me for the longest time that three cats were more than enough, and he made me promise not to find any more kittens. So there he came last July, into the house with this tiny black kitten in the palm of his hand. Mickey Kitty still knows that it was my husband who found him..... my husband can't sit in a chair without Mickey Kitty jumping up and trying to either hug his leg or wrap his paws around my husband's head.

It's true what they say about animals..... they never forget their heroes.

Saturday Movies & Skipper's

Our friends K and B drove in from downtown this afternoon. They had two foreign films that they wanted to watch with us, both on Bhutan and India, their travel destination this coming December. Both K and B are seasoned travelers, and they always prepare for the their trips by studying books and films about the countries they'll be visiting.

They hadn't seen the films before-- they searched all over for movies about Bhutan, and finally found them on Amazon.com. We watched one film late this afternoon (complete with popcorn that K brought with her) then went out for dinner at Skipper's... the Greek restaurant in League City.

K and B hadn't been to Skipper's before....... we usually meet them at a downtown Greek restaurant, so we thought Skipper's would be a good choice for today. After a warm and sunny morning, the day turned cloudy and we had some thunder and rainshowers. (Perfect movie-day.) We all enjoyed the Greek dinner, and left the restaurant with to-go boxes of food.... spinach pie, calamari, pastichio, stuffed grape leaves. The portions are always so big there. The dinners are served on platters, rather than plates.

When we came back from Skipper's, we watched the second film. Beautiful scenery in both pictures.... lots of mountains filled with prayer flags, and temples with beautifully ornate prayer wheels. K and B have invited us to travel with them on their trip this coming December. I've already given my answer--- thank you, but no. I know my limits, and their tours are arranged by a company called "Adventure Travel" -- and they're just a little too adventurous for me. (What do you mean there's no place to plug in my blow-dryer?!)

I told my husband to go with them if he wanted to... he's more daring than I am, for that kind of travel. K and B will be gone for most of December, and won't return till after the new year. When my husband hesitated because of the holidays, I told him to not even think about the holidays. A trip like this comes once in a lifetime, and who better to travel with than K and B to such places? We tell K and B that they're this city's answer to Lewis and Clark.

I don't think he'll go, though. Now that we have seen the two movies, he's gotten a better idea of the topography there, and the roads, and he's not as anxious to see that part of the world as he thought he would be. So once again, K and B will be on the other side of the world come December.


It's after 9:30 as I'm typing this.... and it's been a very long day. I was up before dawn this morning, and out to the yard sales before seven o'clock. By myself this time, since my husband had to get some work done before K and B got here this afternoon. C and her parents were also out yard-saling, and I ran into them twice along the way, and C called me three times on her cell phone when she found things for Mayberry Cottage and for her cabin as well.

One of the great finds today was a brand new toaster, in the box, and never used. Another great treasure was a vintage rattaan chair. It was very sad looking, its white wood very dirty, and its pink seat-cushion just plain worn out. And there it sat, for just one dollar. Of course I rescued it. When I got home, I cleaned up all the wood and now it's bright white. I unscrewed the cushion and recovered it in a floral fabric remnant.... the chair looks quite happy, and very cottage-y. Perfect for Mayberry, which is where it will find its new home.

I also found some Pyrex bakeware at the yard sales this morning, along with a teapot shaped like a cat... couldn't leave that there, for goodness sake. Another great find was a tablecloth with a palm tree design..... I plan to use that in the living room of Mayberry, to cover a round wood table that I'm moving from here to there. Nothing wrong with the table, except the wood is darker than what I want to use up there. My husband cringed when I suggested I paint the table white (a la Shabby Chic style), so this tablecloth will be perfect for it. I've already got palm tree-shaped candle holders (another yard sale), so I'm getting a theme going up there.

I love to do all of this... and even though it's been so much work wrapping and boxing and making lists and keeping things extra-organized, I know it will worth every second of the work that's going into Mayberry. I also have a feeling that we'll love that lake house even more, if possible, than our home here.