Farewell, Shelby...

...I hope all dogs go do heaven. You were a good dog and you will be missed sorely. From the moment we brought you home as an 11 week old pup, you won over our hearts (and won 'intelligence points' from Mike who was shocked to find you as an addition to our family when he came back from on overseas trip - "Surprise!")


You were in quarantine in Trinidad at the young age of seven months and "served your time" well. I joked that, since Shelby was up to date on her rabies shots, couldn't we put the boys (then teenagers) in quarantine and the dog come home with us? They were not amused - neither the boys or the "Powers That Be" in Animal Control.


You gained a following in Trinidad - especially with the Kramer's. Colleen would keep you often when we went to Texas and they treated you like royalty. You patrolled the grounds like one of the guards that were always outside our homes there. You had an innate desire to protect those whom you loved. You loved staying with the Littlefield's as well when we were in Port of Spain. You and Darcy, their Westie, were great pals. And you loved having young children to pay with in Joey and Kelsey. And Edie let you sleep at the foot of their bed, just like at home.


Three and a-half years later, you flew again across the Atlantic to England, where, once again you entered quarantine for six months. This was before the Pet Passport Program. You and Patches, the Bryant's Cavalier, stayed in the same kennel, and Cynthia and I would come out together to spend time petting you, telling you what a good girl you were and "it won't be much longer". I do admit you wormed your way into the heart of the owner as you got preferential treatment - they were quite sad to see you go. But we'd board there so they got to spoil you again. Once, when you were very sick, one of the quarantine attendants took several buses at night to come and sit with you and feed you boiled chicken and pasta and make sure it stayed down because he was so worried about you. That was love.


Once home, you thoroughly enjoyed having a HUGE yard to romp and play in. You'd "point" when the occasional deer or fox would race through the yard and bark to be let out. Everybody loved you (except perhaps the Bryant's one time when they kept you and you barked, and barked and barked again every time someone came to the door...you wore out your welcome that time, tootsie!) But you "liberated" Patches from the utility room where she slept since you slept at the foot of the bed! I believe Whitney felt it wasn't fair that Shelby got to sleep with her or Paige but Patches had to sleep downstairs - alone.


You got your Pet Passport a couple of years later and traveled back and forth between the UK and Texas until you developed pancreatitis and your globe-trotting days were over. You lived alternately with Jennifer's family and then Tim's the months until we repatriate to Texas and could have you live with us again. You took in it your usual stride.

Even where you boarded, Waggin' Tails, you quickly became the "Teacher's Pet" with Denise taking you with her when she ran errands - you have been to the Fulshear Post Office but I've never been! You were even in the Houston Chronicle when they ran a feature article about the kennel - you were one of four "guests" photographed with Denise. She's going to miss you something fierce too.



You were a quick learner with house training. You loved to play with squeaky toys as long as they had plush on them! You loved playing tug-of-war with toys. And you were my shadow. You barked away strangers when I was alone in England and "Daddy" was in Africa. You scared off street vagrants in Trinidad where dogs are bred for security. Even though you weren't, you had a bark that meant business! But those you loved, you loved with an unselfish devotion.


We will miss you, Shelby. You were the dog we got when the kids still lived at home. You were the dog who made it 15-1/2 years in our household despite quarantines, moves, different homes, different vets, different continents. You were a good Expat dog. You were my companion when "Daddy" was away on business trips. You were the dog who met every grandchild and endeared yourself to them as you allowed them to play with you (sometimes not very gently either) and put up with pulled ears, fierce hugs and sloppy kisses. You were our fourth, albeit hirsute, child.

Rest in peace, dear one. And know you were loved.

And I do hope "All Good Dogs go to Heaven"...

Shelbourne Lynne Drennon (aka Shelby)
1996-2011

Tell me it ain't so!

I swear I think I've seen this wallpaper before (and I can hear in my mind my mom saying, "Cheri! Don't swear!") I believe it was in the downstairs bathroom of the house we bought in Naperville, Illinois, back in 1981. I was pregnant up to my eyeballs when we transferred from Houston to Chicago for Mike's job. I was six weeks away from delivery and there I was, perched precariously on a ladder, removing a wallpaper very similar to this in that bathroom right after we'd closed on the house. Everything about it screamed "SEVENTIES!!" in loud, punctuated, tenacious tones. Metallic gold accents...shudder!

So when I saw this online today - ON SALE for $59.95 per roll down from $89.95 - I was aghast! There are just some historical (and I use that term loosely since it was only 30 years ago - that makes it more "vintage" than historical) trends that do not bear repeating. They should be buried and forgotten.

But I am sure there are others who beg to differ. And most of those others, I'd wager (and NOW I can here my mom saying, "Cheri! Don't gamble!") are in their 20's and 30's, passionately in love with all things '70s. I say that because there are so many people who have embraced "mid-century" furniture. the stuff I grew up with - in the '60s because it was hand-me-downs that my folks had been able to procure on their lean budget. Blond woods, sharp edges, lots of aluminum banding (I'm thinking of our kitchen table now), Formica laminate tops (tables, counters, bathrooms), modular looking upholstered pieces. My mom hates it to this day - and so do I frankly. I'm not sure why exactly but it wasn't "comforting" design and we both crave an environment that says, "Come in, sit down, put your feet up, be comfortable". And most of our 50s stuff was the antithesis of that.

To each his own. And ones interiors should speak to them personally. Which is why, when I saw this, it said to me, "Na-na-nanana!" And I shuddered.

I don't like being taunted by wallpaper.

Remember the Quilt Giveaway!

Okay, maybe not so impressive/important as "Remember the Alamo!" but, if you win, you WILL get this gorgeous quilt, made by my friend Sherri. Those of you who were overseas in Trinidad and England with us (Amoco/BP days) probably even know her. All those years I knew her, working to make a better international school, breaking leases on bad properties, collecting Polish Pottery, drinking Starbucks at Sainsbury's, keeping each other sane - I never knew her secret talent! Only in the last year or so do I discover, after we moved to different parts of the globe, that the woman has mad sewing skills! (or is that "skilz"? Nope, I'm too old for that...) Anyway, go to her daughter's blog and be sure to leave a comment as your entry.

Now, on to MY news! (Drumroll please...) Without help from me or copying it from already being written, Mirai can write her name!! I gave her a card yesterday that came in an order I'd received, thinking she would like to color it. I was working in the study a short time later when she says, "Gramma, look what I did!" And this is what I saw:

And she not only wrote it once but TWICE (and a cute picture to go with it)! Okay, so we need to work on "lower case" vs "upper case". Should I get the university apps ready? Probably premature, but I'm so pleased just the same. And I love how her pictures of people always have a nose and big SMILES on their faces! She starts pre-kindergarten in September with three days a week instead of the two last year. I can tell her brain is really clicking as she thinks things through now. She'll get this furrow in her brow, look away into the distance for a minute in concentration, then her face clears, she makes eye contact and, with a big old smile on her face, she imparts her new knowledge to you! Big doin's happening this year, folks; BIG doin's.

Meanwhile, I'm working on my "preschoolers wardrobe" acquisition addiction. More on that in another blog. Let's just say a girl can never have too many shoes (or the outfits to go with them) or hair bows, right?

RIGHT?? (insert validation here)

A quilt giveaway!

A dear friend of mine from our overseas days, Sherri, quilts like nobody's business. I have several of her creations and I like to call their style "Contemporary Classic" as they are contemporary colors and fabric prints but traditional style blocking and composition. She uses only high quality long-staple cotton fabrics. I own, let's see - 4 baby, 1 twin and 1 throw quilt plus a toddler sized bed quilt that she's made and sold on Etsy.

Well, (drum roll please!) THIS weekend, she is giving one away through her daughter's blog, "My Two Red Shoes". And it's a BEAUT! Lavender, blues and soft greens. If it were mine, I'd be tempted to call it Lavender Blue (Dilly Dilly) but, knowing Sherri, she's probably already named it and will have a sewn in embroidered tag with the name on it.

You can read the entry rules on Kathleen's blog but basically, you can enter once a day from today through Sunday plus a bonus entry if you mention the giveaway in YOUR blog, referencing it back to her and leaving a comment with a link to YOUR blog!



I'm trying not to covet this but it's hard - this is a DILLY of a quilt and my wishing vibes are going all out right now! On second thought, maybe you SHOULDN'T enter as that leaves more chances for me! Nope, you gotta enter and tell your blog friends about it. I can attest to the supreme quality of this quilt - they wash up beautifully in the washer and dryer (I've never had shrinkage issues) and they end up very soft and "drape-y" (I hate a stiff quilt that doesn't mold to you when under it - these are GREAT "drapers").

Well, what are waiting around here for? Go ENTER!

Thank you. That is all.

In which I learn a lesson about pork chops...

...and relationships.

I (occasionally) blog and enjoy reading blogs. My yardstick for "blog consideration" in my must-read list measures content by several criteria. I love Texas bloggers for one - pride of State and South. I love food bloggers - love of belly? Perhaps. :) I love bloggers who "keep it real", journal-ing their observations on life and their interactions within their own lives, not embellishing it for pride purposes, laying out their truths warts and all - especially young mother bloggers who are navigating the rivers of their life and attempting to circumvent the dangerous undertows which threaten to pull them under at times. There is a sense of community withing the blogosphere - a combination of "been there-done that" and "oh, WOW!" that I find appealing. And, as a "back from retirement" full time caregiver to one of our grandchildren, reaching out and being reached creates a sense of "I am not alone".

Yes, I do "have a life" lest you think I am an online lurker, seeking validation in a world of strangers whose moral fiber I know not of. :) But I believe there is value in blogging and reading blogs - nuggets of wisdom to squirrel away, loud signals of "WARNING!" when digesting the unfortunate consequences detailed, and a lifting of spirits when victories and/or hilarious happenings are sometimes regaled.

One of the blogs I follow in Google Reader had a great nugget today. I am taking the liberty of quoting from her post today. The blog is called Homesick Texan, written by Liz, and I've been a reader for several years now. I find this blog engaging on two levels - the aforementioned "Pride of State" (she's from Texas although living in New York) and "love of belly" (lots of recipes, true Texan recipes - often with a new twist). Having lived overseas many years while hailing from the Great State of Texas, I completely understand what it is like to live somewhere besides Texas yet attempt to find the ingredients to recreate the dishes I love and crave so much. I believe her blog was born of a desire to find/recreate/educate herself (and thus her readers) to that end. And, I am happy to report, she is in the process of writing her own cookbook and has a publisher lined up! (Liz writes, "And I'm excited to announce that The Homesick Texan Cookbook will be published by Hyperion in September 2011.") Guess who will be ordering copies for Christmas gifts this year?

Now that the introductions have been made, I (finally) come to the point of MY post today. Her recent post had a title involving pork chops. Not being a big pork fan, I almost skipped reading it. But the first paragraph, the very first sentence, intrigued me. "'Are you familiar with the pork chop theory?' asked food writer Virginia Willis." Hm, a pork chop theory? Okay, I'll bite (no pun intended, believe it or not).

Reading to the end, I got to the last paragraph where she elaborates and shares this wonderful truth:

"Willis, a veteran author, was giving me tips about what to expect when my book is published, emphasizing how all authors can help each other. To illustrate her point, she quoted Nathalie Dupree who came up with the pork chop premise."

"According to Dupree, if you cook one pork chop in a pan on high heat it will burn. But if you cook two pork chops in a pan, the chops will cook evenly as each chop’s fat will feed the other. As Willis has written, “It’s the ultimate in giving, sharing, and developing mutually beneficial partnerships and relationships. It’s not about competition, it’s about sharing the fat, sharing the love.”

So, pork chops aside, this "universal truth" is one that really spoke to me! Trying to do big tasks "on my own", whether for pride, reluctance to ask for assistance or just plain old stubbornness, have often resulted in my "being burned". But having a team, sharing the load - as well as sharing the credit - almost always ends in a sense of accomplishment and camaraderie. The Bible speaks of this as well when it says, "Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor." (Eccl. 4:9) But how often I forget this as I strive and yet do not succeed. I have often been the author of my own discontent by insisting on either doing it MY way, doing it alone or, worse, wearing the sackcloth and ashes of the "Woe is me!" personae that infers that she has it rough, "it's tough to be me" and becomes hostile to (dare I say) my husband for not reading my mind. Judge Judy would have a hey day with me on those days.

Anyway, that's my two-cents for the day. My "nugget of wisdom" to share. Take it for what it's worth. And I hope you'll meander over to Liz's blog, Homesick Texan, and enjoy the photos, recipes and insights she shares.

I still don't like pork chops. But I do like universal truths. Food for thought, the best meal of all?

In which both Lleyton and Timothy have birthdays...

...and I didn't even mention it. Actually, there have been LOTS of birthdays and in my "I'll get to it later after all a blog is for life, not just for Christmas" stupor, I rationalized I'd get it done sooner or later.

Welcome to "later". I swear, I'll be late to my own funeral. And no, I didn't get that idea from Liz Taylor. I had it first and if she was alive, I'd take her to task for getting the credit for the idea. At least I'M married to my FIRST husband.

So, missed birthdays include:

My mom. On tax day. Which is an easy way to remember it, except for THIS year when, for some reason, tax deadline was the 18th instead of the 15th. But I more than made up for it with several days of surprises, pieces of coconut cream pie and eating out. So either I'm good for the next few years or maybe, just maybe, I've made up for the past. Only my hairdresser knows for sure. And she ain't telling. (I'm a GREAT tipper!)

Timothy. 30 years old on 5/15. He's finally "all growed up!" Actually, he's been grown up for some time but between turning 30 and the realization that my middle child is NOW THIRTY, the fact hit me smack on the head. He's like a fine, sharp cheddar - mellow with a nice bite, best at room temperature and goes with a LOT of good things.

Jenjer. 28 years old on 5/17. Probably a strange birthday for her since it's the first "single" birthday in many years and Mirai is down here. She'll get to see her soon when we go down for a long weekend soon. Two years from thirty - or should I say, ONE year from her FIRST 29th birthday??

Lleyton. 4 years old on 4/30. We had intended to join the entire Tim Drennon clan at the San Antonio Zoo on his birthday but some family medical emergencies with Mike's mom came up and we headed north instead of west that weekend. We did get to San Antonio in time to meet at Pei Wei and have dinner and present our gifts to him so not all was lost. But I hate that we missed it. As a rule, I have tried religiously to be present at every single grandchild's birthday for as long as I can (and they'll let me and not roll their eyes - those days be comin' soon!) so missing the bulk of this one was an "ouchy".

Kati. My sister, on 4/26. Now, she lives in Canada. And I've lived (insert name of one of 12 different locations throughout the world the past 34 years since I left Lubbock) so it's obvious we don't see each other very often. But, as we get older, more and more I remember our childhood days, when we all lived in Lubbock, and wish we could see each other more often. I'll protect her dignity by NOT saying what her age is or that she is older than me by two years and that my age has been previously mentioned in other blog posts (as well as listed below). I have standards, you know.

Luke. His birthday is tomorrow. He will be four. The Class of 07 is turning 4 right now. First Lleyton, then Luke. Mirai will round out the trio on 7/2 with her birthday. We won't get to see him on his actual day but will be able to go to his party on another day. He's our not-so-little future quarterback/soccer player/fill-in-the-name sports enthusiast. He's built for sports. He's a natural. And I may finally have to learn the rules of some of those games if I'm going to keep up.

And then there was MY birthday back in March. March 12th. Put it on your calendars folks so you will know it's time to humiliate me, send me cards about how old I am and generally make me glad when it's over. I turned 54. I am not afraid of the number. It's just a number. Like my weight. Oh wait, I AM afraid of THAT number...

But it was a greater birthday in that all my children and grands and Mike were up in Keller to help me celebrate, complete with a big dinner out and a cake with a few token candles (didn't want to break any fire codes in a public place you know). Mike actually. did. shopping. On his own. Without any input. At a DAVID YURMAN STORE!! After I came to, I thanked him profusely in the hopes of giving positive reinforcement since I've heard that THAT can cause a person to repeat a desired behavior. Yes, putting those great parenting skills to work in my marriage as well! Not that I'm treating Mike like a child - far from it! I'm treating him like a responsible adult who GOES TO A DAVID YURMAN STORE TO BUY BIRTHDAY GIFTS ON HIS OWN!! That's all.

So enough of the fun and frivolity in our household. After a drought of no writing, the keys are fairly flying with two posts on one day. Anymore and my computer might start smoking or something (finally got it off drugs...) so I won't push my luck.

Take care peeps and I'll see if I can do another post before another month has passed. I can't very well get onto people whose blogs I read to keep posting if I'm not willing to share too. The blogger's mantra: "I'll post mine if you'll post yours".

I can hear my mom sighing...

Untitled...but still the dot, dot, dot...

Noticed it's been a month and a day since my last post. This could be for one of two reasons: (1) either nothing is going on her or (2) there is SO MUCH going on that I don't have a) time, b) energy, c) brain power and d) enough hours in the day to check in and update.

I'll go with Option 2. Doing otherwise would make me sound like a total loser and a lazy slob. Must salvage what little reputation I still have.

So, we have been in Katy an unprecedented eight, count 'em, E-I-G-H-T weeks! Mike had one trip (a shorty - one week) during that time and one blessedly cancelled trip. I'm in my own personal Nirvana. I had decided to stay home the month of May anyway so Mirai could be present for all the remaining days of school. We almost achieved that - we missed the LAST most FUNNEST day of school (Splash Party! Treats!! Seeing friends before the summer!!!) - thanks, strep. Yup, the girl woke up the day before the last school day with a 103 temp UNDER HER ARM. Now, if I was a first time mommy instead of a 54 "back in the trenches-mighty experienced-not prone to hysterics unless a flying roach is involved" (grand)mom, I would have made haste to my local ER and demanded immediate attention. But I dosed her with Motrin and patted myself on the back for my calm, cool, collected, informed approach to fevers in a three year old. She didn't want to eat but she did drink - a lot. By afternoon, when two doses of Motrin hadn't even dented the fever, I decided a trip to the pediatrician was in order - just to be on the safe side. They had an appointment (yeah!) and we got in the car.

By the time we got there, she was pretty listless and wanted me to hold her. This has never happened at the doctor. Even they noticed it and got her in right away. Tests for flu and strep were done in short order with strep being the culprit. So a Tylenol/Motrin rotation, every 3 hours, started once we got home (after a massive, hair-curling-scream-induced penicillin shot was administered at the doc's) and we spent the next 6 days in "fever land". It took that long for her to finally get the fever below 100, feel like eating and have any enthusiasm for anything besides watching Blues Clues, sleeping and (thankfully) drinking lots of fluids. We even had to cancel our trip to Pflugerville we had on the books so we wouldn't chance infecting Kennedy and Lleyton. (It was Tim's call but I'm glad he made it because Saturday and Sunday BOTH were fever days after a low-fever Friday.) I was about to take her back to the doc a week later when, lo, and behold, the girl woke up without a fever, demanded her breakfast and, quick as you can say "Strep be GONE", she was back to her old self. Albeit 2 lbs lighter self - which, when you started out at only 32 lbs to begin with is a HUGE weight loss! She's put it all back on now as her appetite has returned.

But Episode Strep left us with several days of an unwanted side effect that I shall call "Little Princess Syndrome". Little Miss Thang got used to being waited on hand and foot and did NOT understand why SHE should put her shoes on/put her trash away/eat at the table/put her own clothes on/etc. It took about 4 days and lots of tears for her to realize that her perceived New World Order had only been a figment of her fever-induced delirium. Hard life lessons. Yup, that's what we're all about folks. Kill you with kindness then put you back on the road to reality.

She lived. And so did we. Fortunately, strep did not...

Hoppy Easter to All...

Knuffle Bunny is on the left while NEW Mrs. Knuffle is on the right

The Easter Bunny made his (her?) way to our house last night for the first time in a L-O-N-G time! I think the last time he graced us with his presence was quite possibly 1999. I'm glad he found us as we've only moved twice since then! But then, bunnies have a way of finding sweet children, especially cute little girls, on Easter morning. I think they share a GPS and Global Interface system with Santa Claus. I believe I've heard a rumor that the Tooth Fairy is outsourcing her Direction Acquisitions Department to this same sourcing, but it's going to be a few years before she needs to find us, I hope!



Mirai was very surprised and excited to see the basket of goodies left for her once she was dressed and ready for church this morning. We didn't have a lot of time for her to see what goodies there were but she was pretty quick, though thorough, going through the contents before we headed to the car.



After Bible class and worship service, we went to Perry's Steakhouse for our (first annual?? ;) Easter lunch. Mirai was good as gold which is quite a feat considering it is a very nice restaurant that takes approximately two hours to complete an entire dinner service. But she had Knuffle Bunny as well as Mrs. Knuffle Bunny (whom the aforementioned EASTER bunny - my what a lot of bunnies today! - had brought her) so she had lots with which to occupy herself. Those bunnies "ate" lunch and "drank" water just like we did!



She is now down for an afternoon siesta to recover from all the excitement - I plan to follow suit immediately after posting this! She has her two bunnies with her, of course. Mrs. Knuffle became an instant favorite much to my surprise given how enamored she is of Knuffle Bunny.




Happy Easter to all! May your chocolates be many, your weight gain be none, your nap uninterrupted and your family time be fun!

P.S. For those unfamiliar with Knuffle Bunny, I'll have to do a post later on extolling the virtues of this wonderful leporidae.

An Easter egg in the basket...

...is worth none in the bush. This week has brought Mirai the wonderful concept of candy hidden inside eggs which are hidden in "plain sight", bushes and trees. There were two Easter Egg hunts - one at school and one at a friend's home for the younger children and their families from church.

Picnic supper before the Relay Race and Egg Hunt

I'd been talking to Mirai about the Easter Bunny and how she will put her basket out Saturday night and sometime during the night or early morning, a (I assume 'large') bunny would quietly visit and leave surprises in her basket. She looked at me as if to say, "Um, sure. Okay. Out of respect I'll listen, but you are NUTS, woman!" Well, after the first Easter Egg hunt at Yellow Brick Road School on Thursday, she was a believer. How can you argue with a basket full of petrochemicals shaped into the form of eggs and filled with various forms of chocolate and jelly beans??

Fernanda Cannon and Mirai

Getting ready to do the Relay Race

Last night we went to the home of friends from church, the Brockmans, and had another egg hunt as well as a relay race. Seeing a group of mainly preschoolers attempting to hold a plastic egg on a spoon and walk it across (without dropping it - right...) to the other side of the lawn was hilarious! Mirai did pretty good if I do say so - she dropped it only once coming and once going. Her concentration was intense as she cautiously walked and balanced her egg in that spoon.

Major concentration

Steady now!

Oops! Try again!!

I don't know if it was her first egg hunt but it was certainly OUR first egg hunt with HER! If her reaction to the festivities is anything to go by, Sunday morning is going to be a blast!

Mrs. Palmer and Mirai after the Egg Hunt

Mrs. Palmer is one of Mirai's favorites (she's the mother of Beth Brockman). They have a mutual admiration society that is very sweet to watch.

Altogether a VERY fine day!

Thanks to Mac and Beth for hosting the Egg Hunt at their home - we truly enjoyed it!

From a Southern Lady...

A facebook friend posted this today and I love it.

"I am proud to be from the South - where tea is sweet and accents are sweeter; summer starts in April; front porches are wide and words are long; macaroni and cheese is a vegetable; pecan pie is a staple; Y’all is the only proper pronoun; chicken is fried and biscuits come w/ gravy; everything is darling and someone is always getting their heart blessed. Have a good day y'all!"

My only exception to that is my aversion to sweet tea.

But I blame my northern parents for that.