Bottle Brush Tree.

This is my neighbors tree

across the 

street from me.

This is the

prettiest tree on our street.

 

These blooming beauties put on a dramatic, non -stop

eye - catching 

show

for me every 

spring 

 

Their red showy spikes are at least 5 inches long

shaped like a bottle brush

Isn't this just gorgeous?

I love

this tree!

I noticed, as I was taking pictures

that honeybees

LOVE

the red clusters

so

I backed off a little... more like

got scared.

My neighbor reassured me 

the bees were

harmless.

One day I am going to plant this tree in

my back yard along with the

 avocado, lemon, grapefruit,

and 

what else have I mentioned?

Jodi Arias Trial.

Right now I am so captivated by this trial!... Everything has come to a screeching halt! Yes, I am a sucker for these types of trials that air on TV during the day.

I have both TV s on, and recording..And, in case it goes into commercial CNN live on my computer is ready to take over. This case has so many twists and turns.

These towels are wondering when they are going to be put up. They have been sitting there for at least an hour... It's going to have to wait until jury gets dismissed for lunch.

 I just don't believe anything she has to say. Everything she says sounds so rehearsed. Cross examination begins today, and I heard the prosecutor Juan Martinez is brilliant when he cross examines!! Nancy Grace  calls him a pit bull in court.. We shall see.. a nail biter for sure...

Thank you for all your pillow suggestions .. I will do a follow up post...

Pillow talk..

Finding the perfect comfy, soft, but not too soft pillow has been quite a task! I have been looking ever since my flat pancake pillow started giving me headaches ( it has been a whole year now).. I have been all over you name it... from fine department stores to places like Ross.. I have even gone on the inter net researching and reading reviews. And not one pillow I have purchased has been THE ONE! I have been through quite a few pillows let me tell you...

A couple of weeks ago, I walked into Bed Bath and Beyond thinking I was going to buy a touch-less stainless steel trash can, and instead I walk out with this pillow. It's a Cloud pillow from Tempur-pedic and quite pricey at $129.00. I bought thinking It would change my life forever... Well, it hasn't! I am now waking up with a sore neck!! I guess when you go from pancake flat to just a little height you feel your head so elevated you almost feel your head in the clouds. (maybe that is why they named it Cloud pillow)

I feel awful about returning it, so I am just going to have to sleep with it! Someone on the review said that after multiple uses it wears and becomes a little flatter. I can't wait!! Meanwhile does anyone have a bowling ball I can borrow to flatten it? What type of pillow do you sleep with or recommend?

Lent begins..

Almighty and Everlasting God, You have given the human race Jesus Christ our Savior as a model of humility. He fulfilled Your Will by becoming Man And giving His life on the Cross. Help us to bear witness to You By following His example of suffering And make us worthy to share in His Resurrection. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son. Amen.

Lent is a forty-day period before Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday. We skip Sundays when we count the forty days, because Sundays commemorate the Resurrection. Lent begins on 13 February 2013 and ends on 30 March 2013, which is the day before Easter.

Catholic Online

This year instead of fasting I will be spending more time with The Blessed Sacrament. Wishing everyone a blessed and happy Lenten season!

Love~

Love to me is more than butterflies in 

your stomach

and pretty boxed chocolates

on

Valentines day

Love is patient and kind!

Love is

Trusting

that person unconditionally 

with all your heart and soul..

Love is accepting those little

Flaws

our partners have...

Its laughing and sometimes crying together through the good times and the bad.... It means compromising and understanding each others needs...

even when you don't want to...

Love is truly a gift from God, and I couldn't 

feel more 

blessed

to really know its meaning...

A day in Nuevo Progresso

Nuevo Progresso Mexico is about 15 miles from my home in Weslaco, so when one needs antibotics, liqour, a root canal, or homemade tortillas its just as simple as crossing the border. I went along with a cousin, so that she could buy her medications and had so much fun.

After you buy your medications you can relax take a seat and enjoy a taco.

Dentist anyone?.... They're a dime a dozen!

There is always something to buy in the streets..

Where else can you buy antibiotics, margaritas, and get a pedicure all in the same place?

Look at this Gigantic basket.... I stood next to it and it came pretty close to my waist.

El maíz es muy delicioso! 

               And you can't leave Mexico without buying these fresh tortillas.
They were so, so good.
cant wait to return.
                          

                               

Table runner is here...

After going shopping all day on Saturday, I come home and find a big package sitting on the dining table.. I knew exactly who that was from!

JUDY!

from http://20northora.blogspot.com/

In celebration of her 100th post she had a sweet give away

and guess who won?

That would be 

ME!

After arranging my bowl of apples on my new table runner, I had a thought...

This is way to pretty for just a bowl of apples to be sitting on top of it, so I get in my car 

and head for the supermarket in search for some pretty flowers

and 

I find these pretty

Carnations.

I got so excited that I broke some flowers off.

Love the tassel!

This table runner got me

Thinking...

Why don't I have more

Table runners?

I a see a future project coming!!

my head is spinning out of 

control with all these

crazy ideas..

Fabrics

Tassels

Wait, that would require sewing...

Me?

Oh, Judy

look what you started...

I did not sleep all night!

And as a BONUS she gave away this sweet vintage silver ladle.. I looked all around my kitchen for a perfect home, and then I found it!... On my mossy pot twig swag  that sits on my bakers rack...I think it blends in very well!

Thank you, so much Judy!

Conchitas con carne

This here is one of my all time favorite comfort foods. This to me, is home. The smell reminds me of my both my grandmothers homes. I remember this dish simmering in the pot while my grandmother chit chattered away on the phone with her sister, and my grandfather watched The Young and the Restless in his La-zy boy recliner. I remember it clearly, It was 11.45 AM and I could see the mail-man through the screen door. I would run to get the mail, and I remember smelling this dish all the way to the mailbox.. Those were the day's...

1lb ground sirloin

2 cups uncooked shells

4 oz tomato sauce

1/4 small onion chopped

1/4 bell pepper sliced

4-5 cups water

1 beef bullion cube

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper.
Brown beef over medium heat in Dutch oven drain add shells and stir it around a bit let them fry a little with the beef add all remaining seasoning with onions and bell pepper then add tomato sauce and stir , (make sure you break up the bullion cube up and stir it around as it dissolves with the heat) cover with water and simmer for 5 min then cover and simmer for about 10 min until shells are tender and serve. I simmered it for 15 min on low heat.

Oh, and don't forget to warm up those delicious corn tortillas on your comal. This dish goes perfect with corn tortillas...

Week-end Hunting.

This week-end we had the opportunity to take my nephew Nathan to my husbands cousins ranch for a Saturday hunt.

He was beyond excited!

He took his bb gun and practiced target shooting.

I think he loved the ranch life..

Norma my husband's cousin and Nathan at the blind

I think my husband's hooked..

Yes, I know he is..

We'll be back!

My first home...

This was my first home! 1508 Doherty Ave.

I loved everything about it. Back then, I thought life couldn't get any better! I remember I would spend day's in my yard making sure everything was picture perfect. We were newly weds living on a tiny budget and I mean tiny! We saved EVERY-SINGLE- PENNY- literally!. All our income tax returns were spent on fixing and improving this home. We started out by renting this house. At the time, we were also planing our wedding so, we had two irons in the fire, so to speak. I sometimes would forget about our wedding and spend the money on paint, rugs, plants... anything and everything for our home.  I convinced my husband to paint the entire inside of the house all without permission. ( I still can't believe that )  After our wedding we continued beautifying our home so much we didn't take a real honey moon (other than the beach) till a year later... The landlord started noticing improvement after all, he lived right next door... We started landscaping, watering the yellow grass, and decorating the front deck.

Before he knew it, we were painting the outside of the house. How crazy is that?..Needless to say he loved it, and felt so bad for us that we were investing in his home.. So bad that he offered us the house for Fifty thousand dollars! (our mortgage payment was $350.00 can you believe that?) we of course accepted and he replaced the roof for us... By the time we closed the pitiful hurricane fence was replaced with a nice new white picket fence!

We have so many sweet memories of us planting lantana's that could be seen a mile away. Not to be braggy, but this house would stop traffic.

We were also very blessed with furnishing our home! At the time my father in-law worked for furniture store and gave us a never before heard of discount! I loved decorating this house!... I think my camera setting was wrong and stamped 1997 as the date. The actual date was some time in 2003.

I will always treasure the labor of love and sweet memories of my first home!! After we fixed, and remodeled our home we started getting offers from people who would drive by.

 After much thought we decided to put it in the market and sell and I'm glad we did.. It was the right move for us at the time. We ended up with an amazing return for our little investment!

A penny saved is a penny earned

The other day, while at my parents house my father shows me his little digital jar bank he received from a Christmas 2011 white elephant game , he had $186.00 dollars saved in one year just from picking up a penny here and there and loose pocket change. I got so excited I wanted to start one.

I went hunting all the stores for a digital jar bank just like my dads and, I found one at the Family Dollar for $6.00 I got home and started cleaning everything!.. cars, old purses, wallets, and of course junk drawers and every time I came across a dime or penny I would smile get excited and have my day's thrill of watching the jar bank total go up. Yes little things like this thrill me..

My grand total... $8.72 in one day!... who knew? I can't wait to see how much I can save by the end of the year!... I will keep you posted!