POTPOURRI
pot⋅pour⋅ri  [poh-poo-ree, poh-poo-ree]

noun

Today, Grandma J has a plateful of stuff to do. Stuff like get out of bed before ten color her three gray hairs, take a shower...after which she carefully dries between her toes, then straighten up the place before heading out the door by noon.

I know this tight schedule leaves some of you who go to work before the sun rises live leisurely lives, in a state of shock and awe, but Grandma J is getting used to it.

And, because Grandma J has a houseful of inanimate creatures of guests, and has to pick up her granddaughter who just spent a month frolicking along the So CA shore in Austin this afternoon, she is more than busy. Please Mr. Webster, create a word that best fits Grandma J's harried life.

I know what you're thinking....who cares, and please get to the point. OK, here's the point. To keep you busy and out of trouble, I want to leave you with two examples of Potpourri.



a mixture of dried petals of roses or other flowers with spices, kept in a jar for their fragrance still in a vase until they fall on the table.


Have you noticed how Grandma J decided to go tall with her flowers this week? If you squint, or maybe just close your eyes, you can pretend you are looking at a photo taken by her, or maybe her.






any mixture, esp. of unrelated objects, subjects, etc.

And just so you know, this bit of potpourri is at the request of Zach-a-Brow's mother, who reminded Grandma J that he had the best unibrow this side of the Rockies, and he's only seven!! I have to agree!

Where Did The Week Go?

It seems like yesterday that Grandma J was heading 85 miles down the road to Austin to pick up two handsome young men from Colorado!




This is the final luncheon they shared with A-Ron, right before a final afternoon of X-Box. Of course nuggets would be the meal of choice.




The day of departure came way too soon.





It's so hard to say good-bye to afternoon and evening swimmers.....midnight ice cream treats, and hairbrushes......

.......now I need a tissue or two.

A Taste of Texas.....

......history and culture

Just a few miles down the interstate from Grandma J is the second oldest city in the universe including the planet Melmac United States.....namely San Antonio, Texas. St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest, along with all the old people who live there...maybe.


Now, Grandma J loves taking visitors to San Antonio, and share some of the wonderful historical and cultural sites. So, of course, her grandsons had this venue high on their list of places to see...because one of them visited San Antonio when he was three years old, and couldn't wait to return, and share the experience with his brother.

This picture was taken from the Riverwalk tour boat. There are two natural rivers, The Guadalupe River, The San Antonio River and some man made stuff that run through the city of San Antonio. Coincidentally, they envelope a mall.....something Grandma J considers divine intervention.

Here is another shot from the boat tour. Along with plush gardens, several historical buildings, museums, and Hooter's line the walkways. Oh, and of course the mall and a zillion hotels and restaurants.

The boys couldn't wait to get to the Alamo....and it was our first stop in San Antonio, even before the Riverwalk.


Grandma J and the boys enjoyed two informative, historical presentations. One out in the courtyard by someone who has a very vivid and detailed account of the battle at the Alamo, and the subsequent defeat of Gen. Santa Ana by Sam Houston. The second presentation was held in the original long barracks. It was a slide presentation mirroring the oratory in the courtyard, with air conditioning.






Grandma J took this photo of the boys outside the long barracks, which is where all the Texianos died, including Jim Bowie and Davey Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier.






Because it was hot outside, and Grandma J wanted to get over to the mall.....some pictures were taken in front of artificial backdrops....like this one.







And of course a trip isn't complete without a photo op with a statue of one of Santa Ana's Mexican soldiers......in the lobby of the IMAX theatre in the mall.
Does Grandma J look like she's been through the wringer or what?

We can't let a visit to Texas pass us by without exercising our freedom of doing whatever we want while the parents are a zillion miles away!





That's right....tattoos!






For everyone! Well, almost everyone.

A to Z MONDAY

This week's letter is V as in Victory



I want to congratulate the Killeen Daily Herald for finally publishing an article about the hometown baseball team's Victory winning the State Championship. Congratulations to The Pirates, the team A-Ron played on, and you can click on the photo to read the article.






How about a Victory song for Zach-a-doodle! He conquered the oceans, seas, and the swimming pool at The Spa! He can now swim unattended, which means all by himself.....across and back! Yeah, Zachy!!







And how Victorious is it when you can swim, play ball and still find time to relax ala King Farouk? That would be Mr. Tyler, relaxing in the hot tub at The Spa!
Sa.weet. Vic.tor.ee



and just for a good laugh.......






I hope she edits this before she puts it on her facebook page.
this girl is not at the spa.....just a random photo grandma J found on the internet.


Now how about checking out some other A to Z Mondays entries! Maybe even consider joining in.

Vacation Days I-II

Officially known as:
Caves, Bats and Petrified Guana...with a splash of BBQ sauce and wetness.

Grandma J has been spending time with three handsome young men this week. By week, of course she means the last two days.

For the sake of being accused of trying to confuse her readers, please take note that Grandma J and Grandma Deluxe are one in the same person or persons. You know how some people call other people by different names? For example, when Grandma J/Grandma Deluxe was a young girl in Rhode Island, there was a neighbor lady named Marie Giovanni. But Grandma J used to refer to her as Mudpie Marie, because she yelled stuff in Italian when Grandma J walked in her flowerbed for some unknown reason. So, there you go, same person, different names.


Let's move on to present day visitors to the Spa in Central Texas, from Colorado!




A-Ron went with Grandma Deluxe to pick up these two guys, Ty & Zach at the Austin-Bergstrom Airport. Don't they look thrilled to see Grandma Deluxe?







We stopped at Chili's for lunch because no one had much of a breakfast, and it was already after 1 pm. Ty wanted the chicken slider-like sandwiches.......




A-Ron got his usual baby back ribs with honey BBQ sauce.....






And, Zach-a-roni decided to try the house extra spicy special sauce!


After lunch we stopped off to explore the Inner Space Cavern in Georgetown, Texas.






Here is one of the residence that might greet you when you are 75 feet under I35.





Here is another......




Here we have three explorers.....





We moved on to a water park the next day, and it was the perfect way to kill six hours without a single fight wear out three energy filled cousins who had loads of room to play marco polo.....because let's just say, the itsy bitsy pool at the Spa wasn't exactly the best venue.





Somehow cousins can go from almost strangers to best buds in no time flat.


We moved on up the road for A-Ron's batting, pitching practice. One of the boys loved it, one sat out and watched, and grandma J stayed in the car where it was less than 103 degrees.....







....and so did the other cousin who felt like a fifth wheel.

The Big Day Is......
......Tomorrow!

Grandma J can hardly wait to get up and drink three pots of strong coffee get bustling first thing tomorrow morning. She's expecting guests for a week, and then the fun begins!





These two guys are chomping at the bit to hop on a plane....destination TEXAS!! So much to do, and so many people to see. They especially can't wait to spend time with grandma j A-Ron.....and it has nothing to do with the fact that he has wii, PlayStation 2 & 3, and X-Box.






They deserve a nice vacation. Every year they volunteer with the Special Olympics. They are becoming good citizens, understanding the importance of helping others.

Grandma J is a good citizen too busy getting things ready.....plenty of beach towels for the water park and pool.....






Doing lots of laundry making sure there are fresh sheets on all the beds....because Grandma J has only one bed. Of course there is a hide-a-bed, but that doesn't count unless you open it up.


Speaking of household appliances, because we weren't can we get a Cash For Cleaning stimulus? Like how about a new washer? Grandma J has a new car, and figured it never would have qualified under the terms for Cash For Clunkers...but low and behold it would have! Yes, even though it's not considered green.

So, out of curiosity, Grandma J did a little research and found out her daughter's new GMC Yukon, with it's V8 engine qualified too. So would a new V8 Suburban....and how about a Hummer3!


Check out this list of cars you can buy when you trade in your clunker under the Cash For Clunker program.

Ladies and Gentlemen....start your engines!

A Gift Words Can't Describe


*click picture to enlarge

Happy weekend, make the most of it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZACHY!

Seven Isn't Just seven.....

When your name is Zachy

Today is my grandson Zachy's birthday! Zachy lives in Colorado. He is seven today....and being seven means you were born in the year 2002.

Which is the year of the Horse in Chinese checkers

I remember Zachy's second birthday....it was at a jump bounce house. He was so adorable, and we had a blast.

I don't get to see Zachy as much as I'd like....but when I was in Colorado last year, we spent the day at an arcade. We played and we played until.....

.....we had enough coupons for swords! Sword pictures are valuable...even when your grandma has a bad camera and can't take decent pictures.

Lordy, lordy, can you believe Zachy was the sword pirate even when he was four?

He and his brother Ty were prepared to take on the villains at The Pirates Dinner Theatre.

I love you Zach! I can't wait for Spring Break so we can go to Buckskin Joe, and Boondocks.

And...do you want to know what I like the most about Zachy? He calls me Grandma DeLuxe!!

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?
...because it's August..and that's all he's talking about.


Because he's a Dorsey...and Dorseys play football.

Dede Dorsey plays for the Cincinnati Bengals

Glenn Dorsey plays for the Kansas City Royals

Ken Dorsey plays for the Cleveland Browns

........fast forward seven years. And this Dorsey JUST PLAYS! Football takes on a whole new meaning in the Mile High City when this Dorsey suits up. I've been told the Denver Broncos are already saying "We have dibs!"

And these guys....they know who dominates. Ty Dorsey dominates!

...and there is another Dorsey, a soccer playing Dorsey

...Zachy Dorsey! I can't wait to share his FUTBOL pictures!