BASEBALL, BOOKS AND MOTHER'S DAY

To celebrate this special day, I have posted this photograph of my Mother in her graduation dress when she graduated from Columbia University. She was so lovely. She would be 103 years old if she were still alive. I tend to miss her more as the years go by.

We have been pretty busy lately but I'm not too sure just exactly what we've been doing! Time seems to fly by at a pretty rapid rate of speed. I've been reading a lot and also listening to books on my iPod Shuffle when I exercise. This really makes the time pass more quickly. The book that I'm listening to now is by Ken Fowlett and it's called World Without End.

We work out 3 times a week and I must admit that even though it's not my favorite thing to do, I feel so much better .... plus, once I get to the hospital where the health center is, I really like doing it! One of the machines that I use is called a NuStep. Here is Frank on one of them. It's my favorite thing to exercise on.

Because of my bad back and tread mills are out for me, it's ideal as there is no stress on my lower back but it exercises my legs and arms without my having to walk. I stay on this for 40 minutes and then go to the stationary bike for 15 minutes and then the UBE for 5 minutes which strengthens my arms and upper body.
I just finished listening to Fowlett's Pillars of the Earth which is the first of his two books about building cathedrals in England. I'm really pleased that the new book picks up where the firsrt one left off. It givese me something to look forward to.

Both books are set in the middle of the twelfth century, primarily during the time sometimes called The Anarchy, between the time of the sinking of the White Ship and the murder of Thomas Becket.The book traces the development of Gothic Architecture out of the preceding Romanesque Architecture and the fortunes of the Kingsbridge priory against the backdrop of actual historical events of the time.
Week before last we went to the Ranger game with the Gittibans. We had 8 tickets for that particular game, so we gave the other 4 tickets to the kids and they went with the boys. The weather was perfect and the Rangers won, so what more could you ask for!

Nasser was prepared just in case a ball came our way! That net comes in handy for more things than fly fishing!

Speaking of sports, our grandson in law, Matt, is a big sports fan .... especially where the Cowboys are concerned. Here is a photo of him as a young boy with Tom Landry who was then the coach of "America's Team". What a great thing to have in your book of memories!

We have been to court since I last posted on this blog. Our Diocese is involved in a court case and Frank is one of the named parties. We, the Diocese of Fort Worth, have left the National Church for theological reasons and now they are attempting to try to claim our property. It's a very complicated case so I won't try to explain it. Here is a photograph of our Bishop, the Rt. Reverend Jack Iker with some of the youth in our Diocese.

I love this picture and as you can see, the young people all love him as well. He's a very holy and dedicated man, and as a conservative Diocese we felt that we could no longer be affiliated with The Episcopal Church since it has changed it's theology and has become so liberal. Please keep us in your prayers. This is going to be a long, drawn out case and it is very hard on everyone involved. We are praying for God's will to be done.
Yesterday was Mother's Day and it was a very special day indeed! When I woke up and went to my computer (which I always do every morning) I found this darling card waiting for me from my precious husband.

He's such a thoughtful and considerate man and I am truly blessed to have him to share my life with. God could not have picked a better person for me to spend all these years with and I am so grateful.
After the early service yesterday, each Mother in attendance was presented with a flower as we left the church. It's become a tradition at our parish. I love mine and have it properly displayed in our guest bathroom along with the card from my honey.

We went to breakfast with the "gang" as we do each Sunday and then came home and waited for the family to come over. They arrived at noon and brought me this lovely vase of flowers. I love flowers, so I really appreciated them!

After we enjoyed a Bloody Mary, we headed for Fort Worth and a wonderful restaurant called Taverna. It is located in Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth. Frank took this shot of me and my "baby" to help remember the moment.

Taverna is a very attractive place and it's always a delight to enjoy a meal there.

It's owned by the people who own Lombardi's and the food is delicious. We were seated at this long table in the front part of the restaurant while they were getting our table ready.

There was a piece of illuminated glass at the bar where they seated us and the boys never let an opportunity like this pass them by, so they started playing "hand games".

When Ian got tired of that, he pulled out his phone and was playing other games on it.

We could also see the pizza ovens from there, so that gave the boys an idea about what they wanted to eat for lunch.

Once we were seated, we had Mimosas all around and ordered our food.

We started with Calamari and Foccacia bread along with Bruschetta. It was very good but I have to admit, mine (and Julia's) is much better!

The boys had Pizza while Franklin and Beth had a traditional brunch item ... Eggs Benedict. She had the Hollandaise on the side but I think she ate most of it anyway. After all .. it WAS Mother's Day so you must take advantage!

Frank and I opted for two of their pasta dishes and they were exceptional.

Connor had been a little out of sorts since he had to wait for the food to be prepared, but we finally got a smile out of him when the pizza arrived.

We stayed there for a couple of hours and then as we waited for Valet to bring our car, we took a couple of shots of the rest of the family.

Beth and I both want to thank Frank and Franklin for being such good Husbands and Fathers, After all, if it weren't for them, we wouldn't be Mothers!!!

When they left us, they went over to Beth's Mom's house to wish her a Happy Day. When we arrived back at the house, I had a phone call waiting from Nicholas and a posting on Facebook from Rachel wishing me a Happy Mother's Day from my "big" grand babies. All in all, it was a perfect day, beginning with church, then breakfast with friends, lunch with family and ending the day with one of our favorite TV shows, "As Time Goes By".
I hope that each of you had as pleasant a day as I did. It won't be long until Father's Day will be here and we can all celebrate again!!!
XOXO, Pcasso