What is Tina up to?

Well howdy all....
I have a lot to share.  First, the duck... if you did not see my update on facebook, then..... you need to go see it. Basically, The Goose got hit by a car and was paralyzed but is well enough to sit with the female goose who is still nesting eggs. The Animal Control League has place wire netting fence around the Geese with a little pool of water inside the fence as well so that the Geese have water.  There are still big warning barrels on the road near the geese, along with a new sign cautioning passers by.
So, at this point, all is well with the geese.

Next.  Some of you know that I have been working on my weight, I am happy to say that in the last three and a half months I have lost nearly 30lbs.  Good for me, I feel better.

My business is busy, I am getting new clients and it is growing rapidly.  This is great and exciting for me.

All in all, life is good. I would like to end this post with a poem I once wrote and recently shared with a friend who suggested I post it on my blog. So...here goes:

"Shoes"
written by Tina Payton
4/16/2010

In my life are many shoes,
Shoes that help me pay my dues.

My work shoes help me do my job,
they give me lots of bounce.

My house shoes make my feet feel soft,
like I don't weigh an ounce.

My sandals are for when it's dry
and I can go outside.

My high-heels are for dressing  up,
and going out at night.

But the shoes I like the best,
are not shoes at all,

But simply my bare feet,

and they feel best when I fall into bed
and snuggle them on my sheets.

Only in a Small Town

Hello to all,

Recently, here in Boerne, TX. We have had a Goose that has caught our local news.  Mr. Goose and his little lady friend never would have guessed that ducking into the bushes one night would cause such a raucous, but it has.  You see, she is now nesting her eggs and he is having to keep watch for traffic and anything else that might be a hazard to them.  The reason he is doing this is because they crossed the street, maybe heading for "The Dodging Duck", (A restaurant across the street from the river) to have some fun in the bushes, only to find that he was stuck there for who knows how long playing guard.  It's the craziest thing: This road is a pretty busy road almost all day long here in town.  Someone has put out cones and a caution sign so that passers by will be careful and watch out for the Geese.   People actually slow down.  Soon the little goslings will hatch and have to cross the street; I am hoping there will be a road guard at that time to make sure the little Goose family crosses safely.  

     

You'll notice if you look closely to the right, Mother Goose is there nestled in the bushes.

Here is Father Goose, watching the corner area.

This is where all the other Geese are, across the street from Mr. (I wanted to go party at the Dodging Duck) Goose.

The entrance sign to a lovely town: Boerne, Tx. 

Updates

Hello to all,

Well, so much since the last post.  First, my precious little girl, (Yellow Lab), Delilah now has a new family.  Yes, she is gone.  I have raised Delilah since she was a baby.  She has been literally by my side for nearly three years.  It is weird not having her here but because my circumstances have changed so much, and because I love her more than any other dog ever, I chose to find her a place where she could run and play without the confinements we encounter here in my town home complex.

Other news... I had the sinus surgery I was planning on having; so far Nothing new, still stuffy, wondering if the surgery might not have been everything I needed.  So, now I am jittering away on steroids to help me breathe.

Also... in my quest to better my financial life, I thought maybe giving up my little business and getting a job job.  I began looking and even interviewed at a few places.  Nothing popped up.  Then one day I was sitting out on my patio enjoying the breeze and a glass of wine when it finally came to me.  "It" being the answer I have been waiting for.  How to grow my business.  You see, in the past I have tried to grow it, but to no avail.  I was hiring before growing, not advertising, etc... Needless to say my past attempts did not work.  I just never added more clients because I was afraid I would not be able to do the work.  Then, that day on the patio this thought came to me:  "You have a perfectly good business, why in the world are you looking for a job where you'll get paid $8.00 an hour"?  I thought, yeah, this is true.  Then I thought, "Add more clients, do the work yourself, save up, then when the time is right, hire".  So.  I figured, "Shoot, can't hurt to try".  So, I started putting my card out in more places, told a few people and before I knew it the phone started ringing more and I am getting busier.  So, looks like my enterprenour (sp) spirit could not be stifled.  I will march on!

Other news.... I had started working on loosing some terribly unwanted pounds.  When I began a while back, I think April or May, I weighed 180lbs.  (The most I have ever weighed - un-pregnant).  Today I am weighing in at 160lbs.  Happy to say.  I continue on to a healthier and more active life.

One little piece of entertainment for you, this little girl is so cute preparing for her day with a song! Enjoy:

http://comedy.video.yahoo.com/?v=7519839

Well, that about sums things up for me, see you again in a week or two.
Leave me a comment, it's nice to know when friends stop by.

A Happy Weekend Outing.......

Hello

It's been a busy while since I made a new post.  Well, here goes....

The weekend started out with a drive to Temple. 

After returning home from the drive I took a nice long nap, then had a cup of tea, read the paper and then went with my son on a nice long hike through one of our favorite hiking areas in town.  

Thankfully I took my camera along and took lots of pics. 

I hope you will enjoy the scenery as much as we did.

Afterwards we enjoyed a lovely dinner and now for a nice movie and some popcorn to finish off the day.

Hope everyone has a fantastic Mothers day on Sunday and I look forward to hearing all the wonderful stories this coming week.

~The entrance onto the path~

Look who we saw out at the park representing Texas........ 

This breathtaking view was ours for the taking, and we took it!  

Not sure what this little purple flower was, but it sure was pretty! 

Hey, I wonder who lives here....??? 

A Washed up Log.....  

Ben talked me into going across the river to the "Hidden Island"! 

As the hike started coming to an end I asked God for one thing, I asked for a neat sign from nature, a sign of His love.  I thought I would see a heart shaped rock, or something like that, but instead I saw something even more amazing........ 

As I walked along, my eye took notice of a dried leaf.  I glanced back at it and thought it looked like a butterfly.  I got closer and thought, "Yeah, it kind of does look like a butterfly".  Then just as I began to take the picture, I noticed what was right above the leaf....take a look. It's a Caterpillar.  God is amazing in the way He speaks to us, isn't He.  

So comes an end to my Hike.  One more beautiful view of the river and those tall tall trees that once sat with, listened in on, protected and enjoyed the company of American Indians from days gone by.  Travelers that followed along the river for fortune or a new life.  People seeking safety during times of danger in the early days of our Town. These trees are so tall and you just have to wonder what they have seen.  

"Tis the mystery of the River".

Be blessed,

Tina

Garden on the go

• Hello and Happy weekend to all...I have just finished working on a project that I have been putting off and putting off.  My Wagon Garden project. 

  
  

  You see... I have had to let a lot of things go in my life in the last couple of years, but some things you just HAVE to hold on to.  Well, this wagon was one of those things for me.  The wagon was a gift to my kids when they were 10, 5 and 6 mo.  They are now 23, 19 and 14.  That wagon has seen a LOT of action.  I mean, I have so many photos and fun memories with my kids and that wagon.  So, the wagon is a keeper.  But... what to do with the wagon, it takes up a lot of space on my patio.  

A Wagon Garden!  Woo Hoo.

First I checked to see if the wagon had holes for drainage.  I don't currently have a drill and didn't want to have to hammer holes into it (My neighbors might think I am wacky).  It did have two holes, Woo Hoo again... two holes were enough for me.

 Then its time to put stuff in the wagon... I start with a little bark and compost I had been saving for quite some time to use for this project.  (Boy was it stinky).



After the compost I add a good garden dirt mixture.. A good ol' bag of potting soil -Thats my secret ingredient.

Now its time to get out those old seeds from the past and start deciding where every seed and seedling is going to go...

Above are some seedlings I had planted a few weeks ago.  These might be lavender or basil, I can't remember.  (Note to self, start labeling things!)

Once everything is in place, it's time to find the right place... the right place for the garden on the go.

So, we're off and rolling to get some sun.  I'll keep you posted with updates on how things look as they grow.  I can't tell you all that is in the garden.  Some seeds weren't labeled, I couldn't find my old lavender seeds I had saved, but they might have been mixed into the dirt, hmmm, not sure.  Either way - it's going to be gorgeous and I can't wait till it's in full bloom.