Hey Look!

I learned to post pictures!

This is a cow at the King Ranch out of Corpus Christi, Texas.

This is the Lexington in Corpus




This is Brazos Bend in Houston




Wow - Kinda fun!!!

Holidays

I have kind of had a hard week...
It is my first holidays apart from my kids.
I knew it was bound to happen one way or another...
It was just kind of tough :-(

Lucky I had my guy!
He walked me thru it...held my hand...never left me alone...listened to me when I needed to rant and rave...and did whatever asked or needed.
A girl can not really ask for more than that!

On another note...we are moving!
It will be so nice to have our own place and make our home.
I like it very much!

Off to Texas

Well ... I am off to Texas to meet his family and friends and spend some time in the sun and the south.

Warm weather
Good comfort food
Country music
Family and Friends

Sounds rather ...simple...
And that is exactly what I want!!!!

It doesn't get much better than that!!!

What are we without love?

Sometimes...no...MANYtimes I do not stop and remember how incredibly lucky I am!

I was having a discussion with my son on Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
You are all familiar with it...
The pyramid and at the bottom is or basic levels are: breathing, food, water etc...
And that "love" is not listed till higher in the pyramid.

His argument was that love should be one of the basic needs and that the whole pyramid was not accurate. Because after all...what are you without love.

WOW!!! What a smart son I raised!!!
Because after all...what are we without love!!!

How he holds me...

He holds me and comforts me all night long...
He picks me up from the floor when I no longer think I can make it...
He checks on me when I have had a bad day...
He checks on me when I have a good day...
He holds my hand...
He sits with me on the couch...

I rely on him so much.
I need him so much.

I love him so much.

Palin

Yes - I am not afraid to admit it - I LIKE PALIN!!!!
So there all of you bleeding heart liberals!!!!

Girl, Woman and a Old Lady

Sometimes I think my husband...
Soon to be "ex", was a strange combo of all the above.

Girl - he acts like a girl with his "I hate you clubs"
Woman - Gossips and holds a grudge!
Old Lady - Can't keep anything straight in his head...

WOW - now that I am out - I can not believe how long I stayed in!!!
GEEZ!!!

Bring me a Texan

The very first day that we had each other to ourselves...was simply enjoyable.
We were content, comfortable but yet with an undercurrent of electricity.

We took a drive to the mountains. It was November Ha ha, after all that would be appropriate wouldn't it. Our relationship is often viewed as a May / November relationship. We talked, we took pictures, we listened to music...we enjoyed each others company.

Once we were done exploring...we went to lunch at a wonderful quaint little mountain retreat. We sat across the table from each other. Sometimes little was said. I suppose it sounds corny to say maybe little needed to be said.

I seemed to notice everything about him...
The contours of his face...
His eyes...
His hat over his ears...
His smile...
...and most of all his hands...

We ate, we talked, then we went home.

That night, as we were on our computers, sitting in the same room,
sitting across from each other ... I texted him ...
I texted some very simple, true and honest words...
I told him how I noticed his hands...
I noticed the shape...the lines...the size...the knuckles and how he held them.
I noticed everything!!!

I was hesitant to say anything.
Maybe I should not have...maybe...?
But that is when my life changed.
Changed in ways I had no comprehension of knowing.
Some days have been pure joy...
Some nights have been pure agony...

If you read this you may ask am I happy...?

I can answer this...

Even though I often long for what should have been...
I feel blessed and at peace in the arms of my loving Texan.

When I saw him...

I must have been nervous for a reason.

I must have had a notion...
an inkling...
a premonition...

When I first saw him and picked him up at the airport, it was amazing.
It is hard to explain...It is hard to put into words.

In the first hour we were together, he must have said "Aww shoot" 20 times.
How adorable...all his southern ways...it was very charming.

The first day, after he arrived we began to tour our state.
We all took him several places. Sites to see. Places to explore.
He was amazed at all and enjoyed it all.
For me it was like looking thru the eyes of a child.
Of course he was not a child, but someone who was interested in
many things and many areas.

We did this for two to three days...
Just touring the state, seeing the sites, talking...

And then ... we finally had a chance to be on our own.
Everyone else was busy or back to work.
But not me...

Kids

You know as a mom, I was always interested in what my kids were doing.
I volunteered at their schools.
I let them listen to "their" radio station in the car, so that I could hear "their" music.
I always got to know their friends and parents of their friends whenever possible.
I attended high school sports.
I went to concerts with them.
I watched their TV shows.
I read the books that they read.
I watched movies when they watched them.
I asked questions.
I did all those things that parenting newsletters, magazines and / or TV suggested on making sure that you knew as a parent what your children were doing.
...and...
I got on the computer when they got on.
I had them teach me about mySpace, IMing, Video cams, etc...

I do not know if I would have been on the computer as much as I was, unless I felt the need to monitor them...or lets face it...if I was not so lonely.
My son did not need that much monitoring...not that I didn't check, not that I did not find a few things, i.e. porn... but it all seemed normal or average or he just knew how to hide it well. However it was, he just did not seem to need that much monitoring.
My daughter on the other hand, needed a great deal of monitoring. She was into all the social sites, shopping, IMs etc. I often found questionable comments and pictures to friends, or various websites she was viewing.
...I truly felt like it was what I needed to do to be the proper parent...the good parent...

Once I was on the Internet more, I found my own interest and friends.
Some good friends...
and some not so good friends.
It was a whole new world for me.
One that I liked and enjoyed.
One that I found was interactive and would be interactive with me.
It was exciting.
It was fun.
I looked forward to it...

...and (of course) I found him...

Similair Interests

Similar interests are important...

I do love all types of art...
I enjoy sewing, cross stitch, cooking and yes...even basket weaving...haha!
But where I found him was photography.
Because I was bored and basically in life just was longing for more,
I took up photography.
With digital cameras, a computer and the Internet...
you can post your self-thought-of works of art almost immediately.
People look, browse and respond or comment if you like them or even do not like them.

It all start with a few simple comments...
"Hey - great shot"
"Wow - I love that closeup"
or "The coloring is amazing"

That is how it started...
I took pictures, he took pictures.
We had something to talk about.
We had something to say to each other.
We connected...and it was great!!!

...i actually had a friend...

Happy...Not Happy...Happy...Not Happy...

What makes a person happy...?
What makes them sad and lonely...?

I suppose when you spend hours every night on the computer, surfing, researching and connecting with people...when you have your own family right there...maybe that is the first sign of being lonely...

I suppose when you can't sleep at night or the moment you wake up you have to go and check your emails or notes...maybe that is the first sign of being lonely...

Maybe when you spend too much time at work, throw yourself into your exercise and take up several new hobbies....maybe those are some of the signs of being lonely...

But whatever the case may be...that is what happened and that is how it all started.
Just wanting to connect and be heard....
Just wanting to be noticed and seen...
Just wanting someone to be friends with me...
That is how is started...and that is how I found him :-)

The airport...

I arrived at the airport, as we had arranged, an hour before his flight came in...
As I sat there with my 19 year old vegetarian daughter (who was eating a salad) I began to get nervous, scared and excited all at the same time...
What was happening ...?
What had I begun ...?
What was I doing here ... ?
I had met a 26 year old man...on the internet...but yet a friend...and had invited him to come and live with my family. He had sold everything he owned...except...computer, xBox, couple of bikes, some books, clothes and additional personal items. He either sold them or gave them away...left his home state and come here (to me) to start life over again.
I thought...
Is he going to like us?
Are we going to like him?
Will he like the bedroom I set up for him?
Will he like what I cook?
What will he think of the dogs? Too bad he could not bring his kitty...:-(
How in the world did I get here... at this moment...and at this time?
I must be going nuts!
I must be going crazy!

OMGosh!!!!

His plane is just about to arrive!!!!

...my hands are shaking...

May - December

This is a true story...

In the last six months...I have had SO many people tell me that I need to write "these things" down. So I guess I will give it a go...thru blogging. I have not "blogged" at all...but believe it or not I need to learn for a project at work...so in my limited and brief research...this will be my begining.

My story is what is referred as a "May December Romance".

I am 47 and he is 26...

...and this is a true story...