Modern Day Shepherd

Hi All!

Happy Friday! We all made it to the end of another week! Yeah for us!

Before you start asking about it . . . YES - I am doing my exercises and my massage. In fact, I just did some massage while I was waiting for the pictures to load to my blog this morning and I am sure I will do some more before getting ready for my day! My neck is still pretty sore from Susan's "work" on it Wednesday but I am working through the pain! As always, the exercises and massage really are making a difference. Sometimes I just wonder why I get so "stupid" and neglect these things. They aren't difficult and don't take much time but they are so very worth it! I guess I just like to pretend that I don't have SD. Then I would be closer to normal!

What? You don't think that I can get closer to normal?

I will ignore that.

Moving on.

This morning my mom shared these pictures with me.

This is Dad in the goat enclosure. He looks like the embodiment of a modern day shepherd!
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He has his goats (would that make him a goatherd then?) and his dogs . . . he is ready to go!

Like any good shepherd/goatherd, he take the time to greet each of his goats . . .

He looks to make sure that they are all doing okay.

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Nice!

On a totally different subject . . . I just had to share more pictures of Skor. I know it gets boring but he is just so darn cute!

How he can sleep in these positions just amazes me!

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I guess that is all I have to bother you with today.

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Have a wonderful weekend!

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Trisha

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Voice Update: Look at the blurb above - summary: I am doing well with my exercises and massage and shouldn't ever ignore them again!

Anticipation . . .

Hi All!

Well, the car isn't here yet . . . so I am still waiting! I don't do too well with waiting so . . . I am pretty antsy!

While I am waiting I will share a couple more Ohio pictures.



First, Hubby, Mom and I on a bench in Coventry, Ohio after eating at Hubby's favorite Chinese restaurant - Hunan Coventry. We try to make a trip to this wonderful place each time we make it back to Ohio.

The neighborhood around the restaurant is an eclectic mix of little shops which are fun to browse in. We stopped at the cat shop - which also has things for dogs - and found new Mylar tassels for Skor's favorite cat toy. We have been looking for these things everywhere with no luck!

I don't know if you can tell but the bench has a big hand making the peace sign - which is why I am making the peace sign.

Isn't this a pretty little red bug? My Aunt Donna (who you can barely see through the windshield) got this car to be her "Summer car." She let me take it for a drive and it was fun zooming around in a little convertible. Unfortunately, it is too hot for convertibles here or I might have considered getting one!

In other news . . .

My swim this morning was wonderful. It was about 75 when I woke up and there was a nice breeze for most of the time I was walking. The water at the pool was nice and cool so it felt good to be doing laps (24). The sky is very overcast which helped keep the sun out of my eyes while I was doing the back strokes!

Yesterday my friend Donna met me for lunch. We went to a new pizza place in town and had a very nice time eating good pizza (even though it was thin crust and I prefer thicker crust) and visiting. She came back to the house and we spent more time talking about all kinds of stuff while the cats tried to decide if they should come out of hiding or not.

Both cats hid when Donna came into the house. Skor high-tailed it into the bedroom and Miss Cleo hid behind the couch. Eventually Skor decided to come out and he sat on the back of the couch behind my head. Miss Cleo hid the entire time.

Then, after Donna left and I finished checking on the kitties next door, my Mary Kay lady stopped by with my latest order. This time the kitties didn't hide and they actually both came within arms length of her to sniff her.

Weird cats!

I got a free CD from the Radio Bible Class (which publishes Our Daily Bread - a devotional booklet I use). Every few months I get an insert in my booklet advertising a free CD. At first I couldn't believe that they were really free but . . . they are. They are pretty nice quality too! My mother also get the devotional booklet from RBC but she NEVER gets the free CD offers. Mom and I keep trying to figure out why.

Yesterday Donna said that I was probably in the system under a different customer profile than my Mother. From something I do (buy on iTunes maybe??), the computer has highlighted me as a person who might buy music from RBC (there are many more CDs available for sale by the company but I never buy them - I just get the free ones) so they send me free CDs to "whet my appetite."

Mom must be under a different profile so she doesn't get the offers. She would LOVE to get them but then again - she ends up getting the CDs because I share them with her anyway!

I hope you are having a wonderful week! It is almost Friday!

Trisha

Voice Update: My voice is still doing really, really well. Yesterday Donna - who has been friends with me before I got SD so she has been with me through this entire process - and I were talking about my SD and how the people at the Colorado meeting didn't believe that I actually had SD and how that made me feel. We also talked about the whole SD support group thing. It was nice to be able to talk to someone who can still hear the traces of SD in my voice and still knows that I do indeed have SD even though I sound really good. She also knows how hard I worked to get my voice to this place and how hard I continue to work. Because of how long we talked and how long I talked to the Mary Kay lady - I didn't end up reading last night but . . . I still got my voice exercise in!

New Additions at the Farm

Hi All!

It is Wednesday and, after a lovely week off, I now have to resume going to my interpreting class. What fun! NOT!

In an effort to not think about class tonight I will now smoothly change the topic.

This morning was absolutely beautiful for walking. It was about 58 degrees and there was a nice breeze blowing. The breeze hinted at the possibility of rain and the grey clouds in the sky seemed to agree. We will see if that comes to pass or not.

Currently Skor is playing with his paper shopping bag in the living room. I can hear him batting it around. He is probably trying to get inside to "hide" from Miss Cleo who is sitting nearby looking on with a bored expression. I am just glad that Skor is playing. He has been in such a little snit this morning.

Have I told you about Skor's habit of chewing on stuff? Well, one of his favorite things to chew is the light beside my bed. It is a sconce type light attached to the wall and it is the halogen kind which gets very hot. Does this deter the little bugger? NO WAY! He chews on the metal light shade which gets hot, hot, hot. He chews on the cord - for which he promptly gets a whack. He chews on the knob used to turn the light on and off. In fact, two days ago he managed to pull that little knob off of the light and drop it behind out headboard. Isn't he a fun little thing???

It is lucky for him that he is also darn cute!

Okay - my parents recently made an addition to their farm family. Take a look.

That is right! Goats! Seven Boer goats. Soon the plan is to put the goats into the enclosure which has the goat shed in it. However, that can't be done right away because the goats need a guardian.

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They will be in the enclosure 24/7 and that makes them vulnerable to predators. They need protection. Like a donkey.

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You may think donkey's are cute little things but in reality they can be quite mean and can really do damage to a coyote or wolf looking for a tasty goat snack.

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So - until Dad can find a nice donkey to purchase, the goats will be bunking in the barn.

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They are so cuties, aren't they?

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Trisha

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Voice Update: Still missing once in a while but I am working on that. I am!!!

More Tourist Pictures

Hi All!

I thought it was time for some more pictures from my family's visit for Thanksgiving.

Since we were in the area thanks to the McKinney Avenue Trolley ride, we headed to this historic site.




Do you recognize it? Really? It is famous! Really, really famous! There is even a museum up there. Not on the first floor - the floor on which the window is open. Right below the tree limb.

Here - I'll give you another picture - closer up. Recognize it yet? Another hint - it is on the SIXTH floor.

There were crowds of people all over the place. This crowd was listening to a man who had written a book about what happened at this historic site. My dad is in the back - he is the one with the streetlight coming out of his head!

This is Uncle Al on the street near where the historic even took place. Above his head you can see the window I was showing you before. Still don't know? (Will you look at how blue those skies were that day?!!)

Okay - this should be a give-away! The grassy knoll? Yes! That is right. This is where John F. Kennedy was shot! I am not too sure that we really needed the big sign to let us know where the knoll was but . . . it made it easier to find! The picket fence in the background is the fence where supposed conspirators were hiding to fire the "other shots." Of course, it isn't the original fence - it has been replaced several times.

Aunt Donna is standing on the exact spot in the street where JFK's car was when he was shot. Sort of weird that they keep an X there but . . . also sort of neat that you can stand on such a historic spot.

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The building I was showing you is the old Textbook Depository and the open window on the sixth floor is where the fatal shot was fired from. Behind the window is The Sixth Floor Museum - all about that fatal day. We didn't visit the museum on this day because it was PACKED! It was enough to visit the site and to hear the guy who was lecturing from his book.

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I live in a great place to play tourist!

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Update: Please continue to hold Linda, the secretary I "temp" for, in your prayers. She is in the hospital with a very low white blood cell count.

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Trisha

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Voice Update: Doing pretty well. I am getting in a few of the exercises I need to do. I need to be better but at least I have some going on!

A Vicarious Visit

Hi All!

After leaving the Forth Worth Stockyards, our merry band of travelers headed to the New Dallas Cowboys' Stadium. Uncle Al and Dad wanted to check it out. Mom, Aunt Donna, and I - not so much. While "the guys" went in for a tour, "the girls" headed across the street to a conveniently placed Wal Mart. Little did we know that we would be there for more than two hours!

Oh well!

Let's see how the guys did in the picture taking area.

Just to prove the size - those are REAL cars up there! Yikes! Imagine if one of those fell on your head!

A look at the famous video screen while it looks like someone is practicing something on the field. They guys didn't tell us what was going on but it looks neat, doesn't it?

A different view of the field. It seems like that sunlight would be a bit problematic during a game . . . I think I heard that they have a curtain that can be drawn over the end to cut down on the sun . . . who knows!

The locker room. The group that "the guys" were with for the tour had about sixty people in it!

I have no idea who Pat McQuistan is but apparently Uncle Al does!

Uncle Al at the edge of the field.

A slightly out of focus Dad at the edge of the field!

That does it for the pictures - the guys aren't as camera happy as I am! I will say that the stadium is pretty impressive from the outside - it looks very futuristic. The pictures show that the inside is pretty neat too.

If you ever head out way and feel like visiting the stadium for a tour be warned - the line is long (the guys waited an hour in line to start their tour) and it isn't cheap (something like $17.70 for "regular" people and $14.50 for senior citizens).

Trisha

Voice Update: Other than being tired and getting over a cold (which Hubby has with a vengeance today so I am worried I am going to get it back!), my voice is doing well. I do have a speech appointment on Wednesday so that will help whip things back into shape!

Forth Worth Stockyards

Hi All!

After sleeping pretty much all day Saturday and Sunday, I am feeling better. For an added bonus - I don't have to work today so . . . YEAH!

Here is the second installment of the visit with my parents and my aunt and uncle. The Fort Worth Stockyards.

For those of you who don't know, Dallas and Fort Worth are only about an hour apart and these two cities and the suburbs between them are known as "The Metroplex." Dallas is considered to be the more "citified" of the two cities while Fort Worth maintains some of its "cowboy" roots. This doesn't mean that Fort Worth isn't a sophisticated city - it just means that it has kept more of its traditional past alive than Dallas has. This is a good thing since it gave us a good place to visit!

The Forth Worth Stockyards is a sample of what life might have been like in the "old west" when cattle ruled the scene. Every day there is a cattle drive in the Stockyards. Of course, we had to go and see that!

The herd of longhorn cattle were herded through the streets. They are very impressive animals. Just look at those horns!

Then, I got locked up in the "pokey!"

Mom and Aunt Donna got locked up too!

Then Dad got thrown into the slammer!

Here are some longhorn cattle trying their hardest to stay away from people. I am standing on an observation deck and the cattle are on the opposite end of the pen. Smart cattle.

Inside the Live Stock Exchange building Aunt Donna stood beside an antique buggy.

They have a "Texas Trail of Fame" and in the building they have plaques with all of the honorees on them. They were neat to read.

We all spent some time looking and finding some familiar faces and names.

You could get your picture taken on the back of this VERY patient longhorn. We opted to just take Mom's picture in front of him.

Cowboys accompanied the cattle drive (sorry some of the pictures are a bit out of order but . . .). Earlier they were cracking bullwhips. Really!

The cattle do this "drive" twice a day and are pretty content to do it. I don't think that the cattle would have been so docile in the days of the real cattle drives.

The horses were as impressive as the cattle.

It is a good thing that the cattle didn't decide to take offense to the cars parked along the road. Imagine what their horns could do to that paint job!

This marker is one of over 400 which were set in the countryside to mark the Chisholm Trail.

Aunt Donna and Uncle Al sat in the Billy Bob convertible. How fun!

Mom and Dad get up close and personal with "Calamity Jane." Isn't she cute?

There were plenty of touristy shops in this old building which once was used to sell sheep, goats, pigs, and other smaller livestock. The train runs right through the middle of the building for easy loading!

We found some neat shops. My personal favorite was the Ernest Tubb music shop where I found some good local talent CDs!

Speaking of Earnest - here is his star on the Texas Trail of Fame!

We all had a fun day at the stockyards. We ate at Riskey's BBQ (I am hoping I spelled that right!) and had good food. Then we set off for the new Dallas Cowboys' Stadium. That will be another post for another day!

Trisha

Voice Update: Huskier than normal due to the cold but doing well - all things considered!

The Rainforest Cafe

Hi All!

My visitors have headed north to Oklahoma for a few days so I have some time to actually blog!

I have been having a lot of fun taking my parents and my aunt and uncle around to "touristy" places. Not something I regularly go to see!

The first place we "hit" was The Rainforest Cafe. My parents and I have been here before and thought Aunt Donna and Uncle Al might enjoy it.

We sat at a table right next to Baba. He was a great host! For those of you who don't know - the Rainforest Cafe is a restaurant decorated like the rainforest. There are a lot of animatronic animals around the restaurant who "come to life" every five or so minutes. Every twenty minutes the whole restaurant "thunders and lightnings." There is also a starscape where shooting stars streak every so often. The place is a bit loud but it fun to eat at and the food is pretty good too!

This is Mom - she is getting her camera ready for some good shots of the cafe.

Here is Aunt Donna. I love her smile - if you look closely there is a HUGE iguana over her shoulder.

This is Dad - doesn't he look thrilled? For some reason, he looks odd in pictures at times.

Uncle Al - he had fun but didn't really say a whole lot.

This parrot was near our table - it didn't move but was pretty anyway.

The elephants move - they trumpet and shake their ears and raise their trunks. The last time Mom and Dad and I ate here we sat right next to the elephants.

A big dragonfly - they are huge in the rainforest!

There are also massive fish tanks around the cafe with colorful fish. It is fun to watch them swim around.

Mom took this show with me in it.

Does this stool make my but look like a duck butt?

Trisha

Voice Update: My voice is doing pretty well. It didn't really like the loud atmosphere of the Rainforest Cafe too well but . . . that is just a sacrifice I make for family!