"A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails." Unknown Author
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Songs About Texas
This will likely be the last post before the annual beach get away. Well, it's not quite a get away any more. It's actually a family vacation, and we camp so it is actually almost more work than being home, except I have an excuse for laying around!
Here are pix of yet another annual family tradition-Texas Bluebonnets. I included a series of shots leading up to the "best" picture which I used to replace the old title photo. Please check out all the fake smiles and beautiful bluebonnets to boot. These pictures were taken on a borrowed camera but they look great on the TV. Hopefully I will be able to pick up my camera before the trip. Mom's camera doesn't have a memory card and it only holds about 20 pix. I take 20 pix just trying to get one good shot of everyone's face!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Did I mention that my camera is out of commission and all the "convincing" I have laid on Dom hasn't helped get that big, new, expensive camera yet? However he managed to purchase a new bike..."this is to help us cut down on costs baby." Well, he's got me there. I like bikes anyway. It is used and he is replacing some parts but he did purchase an extra helmet so I am looking forward to riding a little with him once he has it ready.
In other news, this week we went, um...everywhere! Mady stayed home more than the rest of us since she was pet sitting, which she loved, loved, loved. We went to hang out with some of our friends @ their houses and we went to the zoo...yes, AGAIN! We went over to my sisters house to weed her flower bed for her since she has an ow-ie from the training @ the academy and can't walk too well. We hung out @ Deer Creek for a coupe of hours and talked about where water in creeks comes from. Storm drainage, and rainfall got the most votes. We also talked about why it is so important not to pollute our earth and why we need to take care of it.
Our family has been talking considerably about why it is important to be a little more self sustaining lately. We have stocked up on a bit of propane for cooking and deisel fuel for the generator as well as food and water. We have decided to go ahead and plant vegetables even if it is a little late. Some harvest is better than no harvest @ all. Dom and I have both been reading more and more in the news about predictions of food shortages with the increase of fuel prices. I could go on and on about this but instead I will let this guy do it. Watch this clip.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Are Friends Electric?
We have the laptop back up and running and thanks to a friend of ours we have an older, but very respectable, cpu hooked up to the new flatscreen! Do you have this @ your house? Have you surfed the internet on a BIG screen? Insane isn't it? Mady walked in from a play (named Lipstick put on by the local High School) and I had the internet up on both the laptop and the TV in our bedroom so Niki and I could play, and Mady nearly fell over.
Then I was thinking about all the technology we all carry around with us or use everyday. So here is a technological break down of a typical day @ the Ortiz house.
Wake up, use remote to open shades, log onto the WWW. Check in with our friends using IMing & text messages to see what we are doing for the day. Load up the car with cell phones, movies for the in car DVD, Nintendo DS, and iPods and possibly the laptop depending on what we are going to do that day. Strap in to our personally programmed seats and turn on the GPS to direct us on our days' adventure. Arrive to hang out & play with our friends and take tons of pix with our awesome cameras or cell phones. Begin our drive home, stop to pick up lunch we ordered on the way and pay for food with a piece of plastic that is actually money! Go home, remotely open garage door, & unload all the days equipment. Plug the camera into cpu and upload all the pix and add them to our blogs and distribute to friends with a few clicks of our cordless mouse.
One interesting thing about all this is the fact that each family member has all their own equipment. Mady and Niki have mp3 players and cameras (though they rarely use their cameras) and we now have 2 computers. Judging from the way things are going, I do not believe it will be long before Mady has her own computer. We are all recording our own version of History. Makes you wonder a little about all those history books doesn't it?
Another thing, isn't it almost the worst day when some of your technology is down? I use my camera everyday. I am periodically cataloging everything we do. Am I personally going over the edge? I have to admit I do not do a very good job of catching everything I see on my camera the way I actually see it. When I look back @ the pictures I have taken they rarely appear as I recall. I tend to think it is bc my camera is too slow but it's highly possible I need to read more and take some classes to learn to take better pictures! But come on, there is only so much one can do with a point and click! If you have viewed the ol' Amazon wish list and saw Wish List Camera, and you know Dom, you would know how almost impossible it is to convince him to spend any chunk of money. He believes I take enough pix to warrant a better camera!
The kids and Pam and I visited a local ranch today where one lady, sort of a local historian, has kept and collected all sorts of pioneer farm equipment, and household furnishings/accessories and displays it in all of the ranches 10 or so log cabins/buildings. This family ranch was established in 1854 and is still growing. There is a home from each generation on the ranch, it is quite a progression worth seeing. The best part of all this is it is free once annually. What a generous family. Niki was extremely interested in all the old artifacts. She was actually able to touch some of the items from the pioneer time period dentist office and bank. While the boys napped the girls and Pam and I ate lunch @ a local cafe and headed back home to rest on the porch and swing.
Tomorrow's plans? Eat with the family @ Nenaws and Papaw's of course, what else do ya do on Sunday?
Friday, April 18, 2008
Technology
Sunday, April 6, 2008
7 Random Facts About Me
1) I enjoy posting about myself. I try to post about the kids and family mostly. I know that they are my thoughts and often I post random crap that has nothing to do with the kids learning, but I am learning so much I feel as thought I want to have a chronography of my own learning as well. I think it will just go to show you never stop learning and you do not have to be in school to learn.
2) I have a fetish for Samari Sword Fighting and fencing which I hope to one day take up as a hobby.
3) A beloved family friend passed away Friday morning. Our vet helped our horse Lucky go to that big pasture in the sky after 34 years here in our pastures. We had a graveside service for him Saturday with family picnic after. We took pictures and read a poem and sprinkled some oats in his grave. Thanks to our vet and thanks to Frank for the gentle burial service.
4) I wanted to play music @ Lucky's funeral but my family thought it was morbid.
5) I am learning how to roller blade. I have not fallen once!
6) I love to read blogs that have nothing to do with anything in my life. They are an inspiration for me to start something new or @ least read about something new.
7) I love internet friends. People you don't see, but exist. People you can either be completely real with and tell them everything about yourself or people you can describe yourself to as the person you hope to become and just tell them the qualities you wish to have.
That wasn't too hard and hopefully that was random enough.
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