R.I.P.

A week and a half ago, the government finally carried through on its threat to switch to digital only tv signals. Sigh. I'm going through WITHDRAWL from watching the local news on my little 5" b/w kitchen tv while I fix dinner.


I usually watch/listen to the local news and/or Wheel of Fortune. Sometimes if dinner was really late, I would watch some Geek sitcom that was really cute.

We used it during Hurricane Ike, running it on batteries. It made us feel more "connected" with the outside world than just a radio. What are we supposed to use now? I expect that eventually someone will come up with a battery powered 5" digital tv that runs on batteries that will cost under $100.

I miss my tv.

Listening

This morning I told Brenna, "You didn't make your bed."

While standing right next to the bed, she responded, "Yes I did."

Yeah, right!

Cameron

I just wanted to share these two photos of Cameron from tonight. To me, she looks very much like Bryan with the blue eyes, the freckles, the wide smile. Just a few more months and she'll be ten years old. Where has the time gone??

Look Ma, no training wheels!

Cameron and I came home from the weekly grocery shopping and discovered Bryan & Brenna were outside on the (former, long been closed) golf course out back.

Bryan had removed Brenna's training wheels and she was riding! He said she went about five feet the first time, ten feet the second, and she had quickly caught the hang of it, even around the curves.

Here is her first ride for me.



I snapped a few more photos of her pedaling along.

Cameron ran beside her.


Then Cameron helped Brenna get started. Brenna hasn't learned yet how to give herself a push and get going by herself. Something for another day!

Edited to add that before I came home from the grocery store, she did learn to take a fall. I never saw her fall, more like do this funky leap-jump off the bike as it was going down. But here is her first bike injury. Bryan said when she let the bike go she fell back over it and her leg hit between the handlebars.
Did I mention she also stood in an ant bed without noticing? That's what officially ended the practice riding. Break out the Benadryl!

Fun Run

What a beautiful morning for a Fun Run! Bryan signed up for the Houston Heights 5K Fun Run as a reminder that he's in training for the Rock-N-Roll Half-Marathon this November with "The Outlaws" (Leah, Brian, and Bryan). We all tagged along this morning to cheer him on.
Both girls were frustrated they couldn't do the 5K with him. Maybe next year. However, they were signed up to participate in the 1K Kids Run immediately following the 5K.


Bryan directed them in stretching for the run. Then they lined up and received directions.


And they're off! I stayed at the finish line and Bryan went to the turning point. He ran the last half-K with them to where I was standing.


Isn't this a great shot of the girls coming down the last block!!

Cameron put on a burst of speed as she passed me to pull ahead of her sister just before the finish line. This race wasn't timed, but both did really well! What a fun start to our Saturday weekend!

Safety Patrol

About a month ago Cameron brought home a permission form for Safety Patrol. Safety Patrol works morning and afternoon by patrolling halls, assisting with the car drop-off lane, and managing the cross-walks. Students with certain grades and behavior conduct marks may apply, but not all are chosen.

While I was in Shreveport, Cameron called to tell me that she was selected for next year's Safety Patrol! She is assigned to morning only (the availability I checked on the permission form). Training started last week and requires her to be at the school by 7:40 a.m (Ouch. We'd been pulling up at 8:14 before the 8:15 bell ever since Spring Break.)

Every day last week Cameron set her own alarm, jumped out of bed, got dressed, and has fixed her own breakfast. We've been on time and she's been in training.

This morning Brenna forgot something at home, so after dropping off Cameron we went home to pick it up. When we came back through the car line about ten minutes later, WHO did we see at the crosswalk??

Stop and Smell the Roses

I drove up to Shreveport for the Society of Southwest Archivists annual meeting the Wed. before Memorial Day. Since I drove in a little early, I found a friend and the two of us headed just outside of town to walk the Gardens of the American Rose Society.


The Gardens consist of multiple small rose gardens sponsored by or cared by various ARS societies or individual rosarians around the country. For a minimal entrance fee, we spent about two hours wandering down paths looking at beautiful gardens of roses.

This one is Heart O' Gold, a grandiflora hybrid introduced in 1997. Absolutely beautiful and one I hope to add to my own small garden.
I didn't record the name of these beautiful creamy pink roses blooming in a row.

This one is called Lavaglut, a floribunda rose hybrid from Germany introducted in 1978. The bloom really do seem to "erupt" from greenery.

The Gardens include a special area for their ARS annual winners, including Perfume Delight, a beautiful hybrid tea rose introduced in 1973 that won the All-America Rose Selection Award in 1974.

I can't put all my rose photos on the blog or I wouldn't have room for anything else! So let me leave you with a photo of this unusual striped rose I saw in the Houston Rose Society garden.

It did not have a name tag with the plant, but after an online search I believe this is the George Burns floribunda, a hybrid introduced in 1998.

If you happen to find yourself headed to Shreveport on business or for a leisurely family trip, plan to stop at the Gardens and spend an hour or so admiring and smelling the roses!