Sunday Update!


Ok, maybe update isn't the correct choice of words, but Grandma J has a few things to say, and couldn't think of the right title for her mish-mash.


First, she received the cutest note card in the mail.....handpainted by Linda  at Grandma's Page.   She sent Linda one of those silly Aba Zabba candy bars, then she asked her what her favorite flower was. 

Then, she painted Violets for Grandma J!   You meet the nicest people on blogs!!

Next up is just a link.   Grandma J was reading The Orange County Register on the internet like she does every day.  It's her hometown paper, and it keeps her connected.  Anywho.....she came across a story about this barn owl family living in a hollow of a tree with a 24/7 live feed.   There's a dad and mom with their seven  five owl babies.  

Two young ones that were small and weak have died.  Grandma J has gotten attached to this owl family which is why she's been a bad blogger and wants to share the link with  all the bird lovers anyone who might be interested.

Just be forewarned that it's real life!  The parents hunt for their meals of rats, rabbits etc.  You may not like what you see, because Grandma J cried when the little, weak owl died.

And, one more thing  Grandma J has been wanting to tell you!

When she was in CA, she rented a vehicle similar to her own in Texas.   Same year, model, same engine.

This is the MPG she gets in Texas.

This is the MPG she gets in CA.    The difference is due to the CA emmissions  laws that require a calalytic converter on all cars.   This law is really  old, outdated, and unneccesary with the emmission standards on today's vehicles.  It's pricey too, and as you can see, it really cuts into your fuel efficiency.   

There was no difference in useage of AC or heaters during this consumer test.   BUT....for some reason Grandma J gets the same mileage in her Texas vehicle year around....even on road trips.


Oh, and just  one more thing....

.....we have a new Penny! You knew that didn't you?  This is the front. 

This is the back...or tails!

There, Grandma J got so much off her chest!  Enjoy your Sunday!

NO, SHE DIDN'T!





Little Susie goes home from school and tells her mum that the boys keep asking her to do cartwheels because she's very good at them!!

Mum said : " YOU should say NO! They only want to look at your undies".

Susie said: " I know they do, that's why I hide them in my backpack"!!


Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, and to my son and three sons-in-law who are the best dads ever.

FRIDAY MATINEE ON SUNDAY

Seven Pounds



Will Smith plays Ben Thomas, an IRS agent in this very emotional drama.

It starts out with a disturbing scene where Ben is calling 911 asking for an ambulance…..and reporting a suicide. When asked who the victim is, he says he is. Right away, I think the movie is going to be narrated from the other side, or Ben survives this attempt, leading him on a life changing journey seeking redemption. There are out of sequence flashbacks intertwined with Ben’s determination to forever change the lives of seven complete strangers for the better.

The movie jumps into several different scenarios without any smooth transitions, and I start to wonder if I missed something. It comes together in fragments and each scene and interaction between Ben and one of his chosen recipients is riveting and dramatic. But then each episode is left incomplete and mysterious with no closure…until the ending.


Ben inadvertently falls in love with Emily, played by Rosario Dawson along the way, even though he struggles to resist.


Woody Harrelson does a good job playing a blind, kind hearted telemarketer who patiently listens as Ben ridicules him unmercifully over the phone. Ben does this as a test to see just how kind he is....making him worthy of his ultimate gift.

I don’t want to give any more of the story line away. I hadn’t seen any trailer of previews prior to seeing the movie, and I’m glad….now! I really thing the timing is right for a movie like this—audiences who need a little luck in their lives could view Ben as one of Smith’s most heroic screen characters yet.




Even though I think this movie is a stretch as to what anyone could realistically do, I give it seven pounds of heart.

......and the sequel is on the horizon

IF IT'S SUNDAY.....

......then this must be Saturday....part II, III and IV

It's been one of those days when you don't stop from sunrise 'til sunset.
Like floating down a lazy river in Texas. Because, if you remember, rivers are the infrastructure of choice when it comes to travel in Central Texas.

Here is where it begins and ends......


I have highlighted my travels this past Saturday for you on this River Map of Texas.
That's home there in Killeen, and after my early morning book signing trip, see Saturday, Part I, I headed to the City of Lampasas for my granddaughter's basketball tournament. The population of the town of Lampasas is about the same as one basketball team with four alternate players.


The family wouldn't miss a tournament for the world.

Neither would this guy...who doesn't have a horse in the tournament. He likes basketball, any basketball.....plain and simple.

We watched my granddaughter shout orders to her teammates on the court...

and from the side lines.

After traveling back home...I changed clothes and headed out to a birthday party for one of my neighbors in the Compound....Donna. Donna invited everyone to her daughter's home to celebrate. She is one of the Aqua Aerobics members, and more specifically, Donna is the one who said Theodore Kaczynski, the Una bomber, was her pen pal.

Donna gets two birthday cakes...one huge one to serve to the 85 guests, and one small one for the candles. It seems last year Donna blew so hard she ended up spitting all over the cake...and no one would eat it.

After Donna opened her gifts of cigars, booze and bath salts, I bid her farewell and best wishes....even though the sun was setting, my day wasn't done.

See here on the map? I headed north on the faux river known as the I35 corridor past the city of Waco to Bellmead Texas, which is really still Waco.

I arrived just in the nick of time to watch the first of two baseball games for my grandson.

This one, with the goofy smile!

And remember the basketball player?

She was there too....to talk on her cell phone cheer on her brother.

The last game was yet to be played, and it was after 9pm. Since it would be after 11 PM when the game would end, and the next game was early Sunday morning, the team parents decided to get hotel rooms so they could party make sure the boys got a good night's sleep.

I had other priorities.......

Making sure He didn't spend the night alone.

SUNDAY CRUISN'

Almost like the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.....but instead it was a hot, humid, sticky weekend of air conditioned car rides.
I spent an overnighter with my favorite guy.....yep, "The JJ". We took several car rides,trolling the hood for bad guys and stray cats.

On one of our outings we drove through What a Burger. For those of you readers in California, including lurkers, and I know who you are who have never heard of this fast food drive-thru, let me clarify how you say it. It's like, "Hey, What a Burger!", not, "Waterburger".