Winter has indeed hit Texas. Temperatures in our region
along the Coastal Bend are about 20 degrees lower than "normal," whatever that
is. We've had one day of temperatures reaching above 50 degrees this week.
Other than that it's been cold, rainy, damp, windy, yucky… But that said we're
optimistic that we'll have warmer weather as the months go by. Sunday we saw
sun for the first time in days, so we know it's up there somewhere!
Our emotions ran the gamut this week. We said farewell to
friends who were leaving for points east, and then there was the celebration of
the Seattle Seahawks winning the NFL second round playoffs against the Carolina
Panthers, 31 to 17. Oh, then there were the games the women won against the men
in Pegs & Jokers. Ha!
Tuesday morning I attended the weekly "Stitch and B.." session; I had wanted to start another project but forgot my needles, so just sat
and chatted with others who also attended. Then I went home to make brownies
with homemade frosting, for that evening's get-together, as we said farewell to
friends Gary and Pam; they left Wednesday morning for Galveston. To say
farewell, we met Tuesday evening in the Adult Club House, with over a dozen of
our friends. After feasting on appetizers, we ordered in pizza from our
favorite pizza place here in Rockport, Panjo's Pizza. Fun times, good
conversation, and an enjoyable evening. Sad to see them leave, but they plan to
be back in the fall.
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| The men and women sat apart for some reason--that is, all except Bob, who preferred to stay with the gals...? |
Dick continues to work in the office, almost daily. We
generally meet up at the Family Club House if there's something going on,
whether it's the ice cream social, Pegs & Jokers, happy hour, dinner or lunch. Wednesday was no
different, as we met for happy hour, followed by dinner, brought to us by Chef Betty.
We’re never disappointed with our meals here. Chef Betty is
doing an outstanding job keeping us all fed and happy! Wednesday's dinner was
stuffed chicken breast (with old fashioned bread stuffing), mashed potatoes,
green beans—and strawberries over angel food cake with whipped cream for
dessert. YUM-YUM!!! Thanks, Betty!
Not much happened Thursday, other than the women won all 3
games of Pegs & Jokers played against the men that evening.
Hamburgers and hotdogs were on the menu for lunch Friday, at
the Family Club House. Larry from South Dakota was at the grill, Angie from
Wisconsin made the potato salad, and Chef Betty made special brownies with mint
frosting for dessert—all for $5.00 per person. Good stuff!
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| Liam Neeson |
That afternoon Dick and I decided to see a movie,
considering that the weather wasn't fit for being outdoors (overcast, windy,
cold…you get the picture). Taken 3
starring Liam Neeson was playing at the local cinema, so off we went.
Ex-covert operative Bryan Mills (played by Liam) is once
again pursued by the CIA, FBI and local police after Bryan’s ex-wife’s body is
found, brutally murdered, in his apartment. Prior, she had revealed to Bryan that
she and her current husband were having marital problems and would like to
reconcile with Bryan. (Bryan refuses to become involved while she is still
married.) Bryan is framed for the crime, but eludes capture and sets out on his
own to investigate the homicide and to find the real killers. LAPD Inspector
Franck Dotzler ( Forest Whitaker) heads up the manhunt, quickly becoming
familiar with Bryan's unique abilities and background. Bryan's main focus is to
find the killers and once again protect his daughter, Kim, from the criminals.
(Does it really end here? Does the end of the film leave the door open for Taken 4, when Kim, who is now in college, reveals she is pregnant
with Liam's first grandchild? Guess we'll have to wait to see...)
Saturday, in the rain, we headed to Aransas Pass with friends Marvin and
Shirley to the Texas Winter Market, held at the Aransas Pass Civic Center. But
first we had breakfast at Our Family Kitchen in Rockport. Our Family Kitchen is
a family owned business that serves home-cooked style meals. We were not
disappointed! We noshed on ham and eggs, grits, omelets, green chili casserole,
hash browns and toast, with plenty of fresh roasted coffee from Rockport Coffee
Company. Again I say, yum-yum!!! Located at 324 Highway 35 South in Rockport,
they're open from 6 a.m.to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and will always
happily serve breakfast. It's worth your time to stop for a meal, but plan to get
there early because they fill up fast, especially at lunch time.
Off to the Texas Winter Market. The Texas Winter Market is held every January and February
at the Aransas Pass Civic Center. Vendors from across Texas fill the booths
with gourmet foods, jewelry, clothing, accessories, wine, gifts, and more.
There was a $3 admission per person, but because Texas Winter Market supports
the local food bank, there was a $1 discount if you brought a non-perishable
food item. We had fun roaming through the booths, sampling stuff, and raising
eyebrows at some of the things we saw. Because the weather here is so chilly
(and my sweatshirts are back in Minnesota), I had to buy a sweatshirt…and then
I bought an embellished t-shirt…Dick bought a bottle of peach cider, and we
bought a few gifty things, as well.
It was still raining when we left Aransas Pass so we headed
back home to warmth and shelter. Brr…
That afternoon we were introduced to
Lucy, our "foster" cat, that we're caring for, for the next month while friends
and neighbors in the park will be in Houston. Lucy is an outdoor cat, so
there's not much real caring that needs to be done, other than feeding. She
settled in quite well; we took "possession" of her Saturday. Like she knew this
was her new temporary home, Lucy returned to our place on her own, and stayed
until about 11:30 that night when she let us know she'd had enough "indoor" time and wanted out. We created a little shelter of sorts from a
plastic-wrapped cardboard box and towels so she would have somewhere to settle
in if she didn't want to come in. Here's Lucy! She's a beauty!
Then, we watched the Seattle Seahawks play the Carolina Panthers in football.
Seattle was lit up for this occasion, hoping to cheer on the team to another
Super Bowl championship win. From the Great Wheel at Pier 57 on Elliot
Bay in Seattle to CenturyLink Field and the Space Needle, to fans and fashion.
Everyone got in on Seahawk Mania!
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| The building with "12" lit up is the building I worked in Seattle. |
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| The top left shows the 12th man flag waving atop the Seattle Space Needle, which was adorned with the Seahawk colors. CenturyLink Field also sports their colors, as do shoes, and of course, the fans. Since they're playing the Packers, it appears that they'll be done in with the "cheese" grater. Then, there are the "Seattles," which are really Skittles in Seahawk colors, and are Marshawn Lynch's favorite treats. |
Sunday we attended First Baptist Church of Rockport, where
we were blessed by the ministry of "Beyond Jordan," an a cappella ladies trio,
who had performed at the Rockport Gospel Fest this past weekend. These gals,
all from Texas, sang medleys of good ol' gospel favorites as well as some newer
contemporary arrangements. Then, Pastor Jones spoke from the New Testament,
John 3:1-8, where Nicodemus questioned Jesus about being born of the Spirit. We
were reminded that we need a spiritual awakening, both personally and as a
country. And, we were reminded that the Holy Spirit empowers (Acts 1:8), purifies (1
Corinthians 6:11), reveals (John 7:38-39, Romans 8:14 and 16, and John 14:13),
and unifies (Acts 2:7-18). And, the spiritual awakening comes when people are
filled with the Spirit of God. There is no other way.
That afternoon we met friends Bill and Carole, and Marvin
and Shirley for ice cream at the club house. This was followed by 4 games of
Pegs & Jokers; men: 2, women: 2. 'Nuff said
.
2015 is well on its way; already we're entering the 3rd
week of the month. My, my… We hope this finds you healthy and happy. Drop us a
line; we’d love to hear from you!
Hugs and blessings,
RJ and Gail
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