Texas - Recommended Reading For Everyone

I received an email today and viola! I have a subject for my blog. You may not know but I am a Texan. I was born and raised in Texas. My first marriage failed (he was not from Texas) and my second marriage is thriving (he was born and raised in Texas). Coincidence? I think not. Texans are different, in a good way. All those qualities that you wish to instill in your children are part of the Texas way of life. If you are not from Texas, please read this so that you can understand why Texans are a proud bunch. If you are a Texan, I know you will get goose-bumps and a tear in your eye. My thoughts are in blue.

Here are the contents of that email:

Have you ever looked at a map of the world? Look at Texas with me just for a second. That picture, with the Panhandle and the Gulf Coast , and the Red River and the Rio Grande is as much a part of you as anything ever will be. As soon as anyone anywhere in the world looks at it they know what it is. It's Texas . Pick any kid off the street in Japan and draw him a picture of Texas in the dirt and he'll know what it is. What happens if I show you a picture of any other state? You might get it maybe after a second or two, but who else would? And even if you do, does it ever stir any feelings in you?

In every man, woman and child on this planet, there is a person who wishes just once he could be a real live Texan and get up on a horse or ride off in a pickup. There is a little bit of Texas in everyone. This is where I start getting goose-bumps.

Texas is the Alamo . Texas is 183 men standing in a church, facing thousands of Mexican nationals, fighting for freedom, who had the chance to walk out and save themselves, but stayed instead to fight and die for the cause of freedom. John Wayne paid to do the movie himself . That is the Spirit of Texas . Most people do not realize that the Alamo is the most famous battle that was not won!

We send our kids to schools named William B. Travis and James Bowie and Davy Crockett, and do you know why? Because those men saw a line in the sand and they decided to cross it and be heroes.

Texas is Sam Houston capturing Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana at San Jacinto .

Texas is huge forests of Piney Woods like the Davy Crockett and Sam Houston National Forests .

Texas is breathtaking mountains in the Big Bend .

Texas is the unparalleled beauty of bluebonnet fields in the Texas Hill Country.

Texas is floating the rivers of the Hill Country on a hot summer day.

Texas is the beautiful, warm beaches of the Gulf Coast of South Texas .

Texas is beaches you can drive on and have many memorable bon-fires with close friends.

Texas is that warm feeling you get when someone asks where you're from.

Texas is the shiny skyscrapers in Houston and Dallas.

Texas is world record bass from places like Lake Fork .

Texas is Mexican foods like nowhere else, not even Mexico .

Texas is chicken fried steak and world famous Bar-B-Q.

Texas is the Fort Worth Stockyards, Bass Hall, the Ballpark in Arlington and the Astrodome. (guess now, the Reliant Stadium too)..

Texas is larger-than-life legends, like Michael DeBakey, Ann Richards, Denton Cooley, Willie Nelson, Buddy Holly, Gene Autry, Audie Murphy, Tommy Lee Jones, Waylon Jennings, Farrah Fawcett, Janis Joplin, Sandra Bullock, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Landry, Eva Longoria, Darrell Royal, ZZ Top, Eric Dickerson, Earl Campbell, Nolan Ryan, Sam Rayburn, Howard Hughes, George H.. W. Bush, Lyndon B. Johnson, and let's not forget GEORGE STRAIT- PANTERA, the Big Bopper, Tex Ritter, George Jones, Clay Walker, Mark Chestnut, to name ONLY a few.

Texas is great companies like Dell Computer, Texas Instruments, EDS and Compaq, Whataburger, Southwest Airlines, Bell Helicopter and LOCKHEED MARTIN AEROSPACE, Home of the F-16 Jet Fighter and the JSF Fighter, Valero.
Texas is NASA.

Texas is huge herds of cattle, beautiful horses and miles of crops.

Texas is home to the world famous King Ranch. (My hometown, Kingsville)

Texas is home to the most amazing sunsets of gold over an empty field.

Texas is hundreds of deer running around neighborhoods and fields.

Texas is skies blackened with doves and fields full of deer..

Texas is a place where towns and cities shut down to watch the local high school football game on Friday nights and for the Cowboys on Monday Night Football, and for the night In Old San Antonio River Parade in San Antonio.
To drive across Texas , is to drive 1/3 the way across the United States .

Texas is ocean beaches, deserts, lakes and rivers, mountains and prairies, and modern cities..

If it isn't already in Texas , you probably don't need it.

No one does anything bigger or better than it's done in Texas .

This is important, it is what sets us apart from other states.
By federal law, Texas is the only state in the U...S. That can fly its flag at the same height as the U.S. Flag. Think about that for a second. You fly the Stars and Stripes at 20 feet in Maryland , California , or Maine , and your state flag, whatever it is, goes at 17 feet. You fly the Stars and Stripes in front of Klein Oak High or anyplace else at 20 feet, the Lone Star flies at the same height - 20 feet. Do you know why? Because it is the only state that was a Republic before it became a state.

Also, being a Texan is as high as being an American down here. Our capitol is the only one in the country that is taller than the capitol building in Washington , D.C. And we can divide our state into five states at any time if we wanted to!We can become a republic again at any time the voters of Texas choose, and we included these things as part of the deal when we came on.

That's the best part, right there.

Texas even has its own power grid!!

And don't even lie to yourself... Did I mention Live music capitol of the world?

If you are a REAL TEXAN, you won't even need to be told to pass this on.

God Bless Texas !! Click here to read more!

Computers

I have had a fun couple of weeks.  The computer that I was using was about 6 years old.  I have been babying it for about 6 months.  All of a sudden about 3 weeks ago it really started acting up.  I started trying to organize my files so that I could take them off the hard drive.  I was also using the computer constantly for my store.  I was editing pictures and writing item descriptions for several items that I needed to list in my store.  And  finally one morning I told my husband that all I was going to do that day was copy files to a flash drive so that I could load them on his computer.  This idea worked for about 20 minutes.  Then right in the middle of copying a file, my computer had a nervous breakdown 

I had no idea how my life was going to be affected.   My husband, Larry, shared his computer with me and even though he let me use it whenever I wanted, I couldn't get the things done that I needed to.  His computer has Windows Vista and I had to learn how to use Windows Vista.  I am still working on that.   I take control of my computer not the other way around.  I tell the computer when to look for updates.  And I don't allow it to do its own thing in the background.  If you knew how many processes your computer was running (that it does not need to run) you would be amazed.  Your computer is always checking with software publishers for updates and such.  I don't need it to do that 10 times a day when I don't use that program more than 3 times a year.  Google Earth checks for updates every 20 minutes.  That is why it is no longer on my computer.
All my Internet links are lost.  I took about an hour trying to recreate as many as I could.  I recreated about 5% of them.  I guess I will get them back as I need them.

All the pictures for my store are gone too.  I am going to try to find out if I can download them from the site.  I like to have a historical log of my creations.  And quite a few are items that I make regularly.

On the plus side, my new computer is real fast.  And the tower is more compact.  Before I set it up, I put together my new computer desk.  So my desk is really clean now.  And the new desk does NOT have cubbyholes for me to fill.  This corner looks alot less cluttered.

I will quit crying over the spilt milk for awhile.  Until I need something that was lost.

Please excuse the shouting but I do have one thing to say about all of this:

BACK UP YOUR FILES!!!!!     NOW!

Have a good day Click here to read more!

My 2 Sons

I keep promising to post regularly, but life keeps getting in the way.

We had a tense few hours last week.  Both of my husbands sons are in the military and both are in Afghanistan.  I received a call from my step-daughter about an injury sustained by Ken (the oldest). For about 1 hour (I checked the phone log, cuz I thought it was 3-5) all we knew was that he had been injured and that he was OK. We finally got the details. His armoured vehicle ran over a mine. He got out right away but went back in for the other guys.  He said he had to because they were just kids and needed his help.   He had a concussion, neck and back injuries and he inhaled the chemical in the fire extinguisher.


His brother, Larry Jr, called a couple of days later.  All he heard was that his brother was injured.  His Dad explained the accident and the extent of Ken's injuries.

As a rule, I do not like to impose my political views on others and don't want theirs.  This is not a forum for politics.  I was not going to put this type of topic in my blog because I know that some are against us being in Afghanistan.  The right or wrong is not what this is about.

This post is about 2 boys that I care about and the danger that they are in.  Please take a moment (regardless of you opinion of the military) and pray that these 2 boys and all their companions in the service come home to their loved ones. 

Thank you

  Click here to read more!

"Roll-Over Minutes"

The past couple of weeks have been busy.  I don't have enough time to do the things I need to do.  But I have an idea on how to fix the time problem. 

You know how some cell phone companies advertise "roll-over minutes"?   I need to have some roll-over minutes of my own.  How can I get them? 

Wouldn't that be wonderful?  When you are sick or just vegging around the house, you could save those minutes.  Then when you have alot to do, you just reach into that drawer or closet and pull out some of those roll-over minutes.  

Just think how much simpler things would be if you had access to some minutes like that.  You could take the time that you spend waiting in the doctors office, or at the DMV or any of those places that you have to wait, and save the minutes.  Then the wait wouldn't be so long.  And when you have too many things to do, you just take out some minutes and keep going.  Don't worry you won't be late, you have extra minutes.  

Another good point about the roll-over minutes.  If you have a deadline and you are running late, pull out the minutes you saved at the mechanic shop last week.

I will have to work on implementing this "Roll-Over Minutes" plan.  I don't know, I think it looks good on paper, but I'm not sure it would work in real life. Click here to read more!

Snowflakes are Addicting! Beware!

This past week I have promised myself every morning when I got up that I would catch up on my blog subscriptions and blog myself.  Then I get started on those ding-dang beaded snowflakes and the next thing I know it is 2 AM.   And I haven't read any of my favorite blogs and I have not blogged.  There is something addicting about those snowflakes.  They are just too cool to make.  I am even thinking about a way to use them to make a bracelet and a necklace.  I try all sorts of color combinations and patterns.  And then I start with one pattern and change it half-way through.  I just get lost in doing them.  I need to start selling them so that I can afford to make more.   


All the snowflakes start out the same.  Usually six beads in a circle and run the thread through the circle again and tie it off.  Then you just add beads at each of the six intervals as you go around the ring.  I am even getting lost describing how to make them.  I want to make more!!

I don't have time for anything except the snowflakes.  I try to play a computer game, but I stop between rounds to make a snowflake. 

Sorry, but I gotta go make me some more snowflakes!!!

I have some ideas about how to have extra time whenever you need it.  I'll share them with you next time.  I have to try out my idea to see if it works. Click here to read more!

Christmas in July on Etsy

I haven't been ignoring you on purpose. I have been busy trying to get my Christmas in July Sale going. I couldn't decide on how to set up the sale, so I decided that I would make you decide.

There are alot of shops on Etsy that are participating. Each shop is defining their own sale. Items will be labelled either CIJ or ChristmasinJuly. There are Christmas items and regular items that are on sale. Now is your chance to get a head start on Christmas. Or just buy something on sale.

My sale is the



Choose Your Own Christmas in July Sale

All Items in the CIJ (Christmas in July) section of my store are on sale. You choose the sale. Convo me before you pay so that you are charged the correct amount.
You get to choose either

A) 15% off of your purchase or

B) buy 2 items and get a free gift made especially for you. The gift will be comparable to what you have purchased. I will convo you to get an idea of what color and style of gift to make for you.


All items are in the CIJ section and tagged with CIJ. I will be adding items each day.

I changed the sale to a 20% off sale. The items are listed at the reduced price.

Click here to read more!

Airlines Can Be Fun

I have mentioned before that I have Epilepsy and that I speak publicly to help end the stigma associated with Epilepsy and to help spread Awareness.  I flew to Reno on July 1 to address a group there.  I have several problems with flying.  First is the fact that I don't mind the flying part.  The taking off and landing are a different story.  

Now thanks to 911 there is so much more security to deal with.  And have the rules changed since the last time I flew.  And airports and airplanes are not the most comfortable places in the world.  To top things off, my husband had his hip replacement earlier this year. 

Add to all that the difficulties that my husband and I had the last time we flew.  I won't name the airline but just think about the letters associated with our great country.  We even turned in our frequent flyer miles from that airline because neither one of us will ever willingly set foot on their plane again. 

We anticipated a long, rough day trying to deal with the flight crew.  Was I ever in for a pleasant surprise.  I am from the South, but have not flown Southwest in several years. 

I want everyone to know that my flights to and from Reno on Southwest Airlines were 2 of the most pleasant things that I have done this year.  I am partial to the flightcrew we had going to Reno, maybe because one of the flight attendants was from my home state, Texas.  Maybe it was the way they sang the safety announcements.  Maybe it was the casual yet professional way that they interacted with all the passengers.  They acted as if we were friends at a social event.  OMG, the flight attendants treated us as if our comfort and pleasure were the reason that they were there.   That has not happened on an airplane in I don't know how long.  We were treated to Customer Service with a smile and a song.  What better way to start your trip?

I did get their names, but I don't feel comfortable putting that in my blog.  I will be notifying their home office. 

If you have to fly somewhere, and Southwest can get you there, you should care enough about your comfort to try to fly on Southwest Airlines.  I think that in the future I will fly Southwest as far as I can then walk the rest of the way.  Maybe not, but that's how much I enjoyed myself. Click here to read more!