Budget Moving

December 3, 2010

We woke up in Hot Springs Friday morning and began the process of organizing all of our belongings to be transported by this Budget truck. It was HUGE, so we were certain we would have room left over.

Then we started loading in all the furniture and got a little worried. Next boxes came, and it was a flood of cardboard with no room to move. Finally we shoved in the odds and ends here and there so it was crammed...in the rental truck, Don (Zach's Honda), Beverly's CR-V, and the Buick I'm now driving. (Speaking of that car, it has no name, so maybe that's why it's misbehaving?)

This is what you call a caravan.

BUT there was room left over. *whew* It was nice to be able to rest that night and not have to worry about driving and/or unloading that day. It wasn't the smoothest day, but it was a lot smoother than some I've had when it comes to moving (and I've had A LOT). We definitely get better at packing and loading each time, but, Lord, please let us stay here for at least two years!

A special thanks to Bobby and Beverly, Momo, Josh, Kevin and Bree, and Jeannie and Chuck for making our move go smoothly! We are so thankful for you guys. :)

Happy 90th Birthday, Momo!

August 9, 2010

Happy 90th birthday, Momo! We love you!!

(Momo had already blown out the candles by the time my phone took the picture. *lol* She's a go-getter!)

A Walk Down Memory Lane: First Pharr Family Christmas

August 7, 2010

Today, while working on Momo's birthday present, I got to look at lots of pictures of Zach and his family in the years before *we* existed.

I also got to see some of the pictures of times we have shared, including my first and only Christmas with the Pharr side--I never get tired of saying that!--of the family. (It is the only one I've had so far as we were honeymooning during the past one.)

What is this you ask?
We tried to pop a kernel of popcorn with cell phones.
That's how I knew this family was a keeper, corny as that may be!

AG Kirsten...and as many versions of strawberry shortcake as there are Americans

[photo courtesy http://e.joz3d.net/pages/Pamphlets.html]

Today I went over to Momo's for lunch and had strawberries and angel food cake (topped with a dollop of Cool Whip!) for dessert.

It makes me think of American Girl Kirsten Larson, who celebrated her birthday along the same lines, and is the doll I always associate with deep dark winters and sunny summer days. She was a farm child, after all.
(I just HAD to find a picture of the doll with the birthday party set, and it would have been nice to find one with Kirsten's kittens because Momo has a cat. I was lucky to stumble across a website that features Pleasant Company's old newsletters, so this photo made a perfect recapitulation of everything I'm discussing in this post.)

[photo courtesy http://agplaythings.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=kirsten&action=display&thread=4473]

I love strawberries on cake. We used to buy those sponge cake rounds and cut up the strawberries, adding a little sugar so that they became syrupy and pouring them over the cakes. YUMMY!(I've decided I like Cool Whip on desserts, including Jell-O, and Reddi Whip on ice cream and hot beverages, like cocoa.)

Strawberries are some of my favorite fruits, along with peaches and melons. (I really can't pick ONE favorite!) I think these are my favorites because there is nothing like fresh fruit in the summer, all sun-ripened and lush. I remember picking berries and peaches when I was little and LOVED it. There is nothing like a sweet strawberry or a plump and juicy peach...and nothing beats a Hope watermelon, I've heard. :)

Heroes in half-shells aren't always boys...right?

We found a turtle walking home from Momo's. Even though D. H. Lawrence taught me that tortoises are biologically gendered, I still don't think of them in terms of male and female. Except when I want to rhyme the name with the animal.

Meet Myrtle the Turtle. :)
I know, I know, not nearly has cool as Leonardo or Michelangelo.