Important info for Jack and Hank

Mimi saw this and thought of you and knew you would want to have this valuable information. Bad ideas are not good and the teacher and your parents and baby sister do not like bad ideas. Your parents do not either. So just follow the instructions and ALL your ideas will be good!

Rosemary Ramsey married

Fun picture from Jimmy Ramsey. Kevin's oldest is a daughter, on the left

back row. His oldest son is right by the groom, the twins are Kevin look-alikes

for sure, standing in the kilts. It amazes me how much Jimmy's wife, Mary

Stewart, looks so much like Sally .... as does Rosemary. Sure would love to

see these folks one day, they are a bunch of fun. Y.M.

Fun pictures

inside of the announcement......

One for the books...

Yes, girls and boys, ladies and gentlemen, folks from far and near ........YES, this is The Kaptain a-working. He be sitting on Y.M.'s gardening stool washing something, I know not what. And when he tried to git up on that wet dock, frum a rolling gardening stool, with nothing to hold on to I shoulda grabbed the movie camera for a special Utube presentation. Thought I mite have to take supper out to him.

This is a Test of Ur Intelligents

I been thinkin all day after the early morning event I had the pleasure of participating in an I jes wanna git sum more opinions.

1) Wood I rather git my oldest granddaughter off on a plane to go to an out-of state-college alone ........ or

2)Wood I rather git The Admiral off on a plane to go on an out-of-state, overnight trip (1 night) alone, without a checkbook but plenty of socks for cold weather, to look at a boat for sale in Houston.

3) Or meybe: Wood I rather send Hank, Jack and Hannah Grace on a bus alone to Disneyland with packed lunches and candy..........

4)Or meybe: Wood I rather git a job driving little chillens to pre-school in the next county.

NOW, jes sit down and relax with a nise glass of wine out of a box, or a cold beer, and deside the worst job of the lot and let me know what U be thinkin, 'cause Y.M. has a definite o-pinion.

I have been comatose and not moving about much since this a.m. and jest hoping tomorrow will be a better day until the big pick-up at the aeropuerto at 6:05 tomorrow.

Girls on the loose

Sue sent this lovely view of Melissa and her buddies dressed up for the 9th grade dance. Melissa is second from the right end. Modern costumes are almost overwhelming. Apparently corkscrew curls are In Style. Was it Nancy in a school photo with curls long ago & far away? Seems like only yesterday ..... Y.M.

Diet Schmiet. Nutella Crepes Trump All Efforts at Longevity. Or Zipping My Jeans.

Yo Mama: About 15 years ago you gave me a crepe maker, and I used it some. Now it has been re-enlisted after we visited a restaurant serving crepes in Santa Fe. You make a fresh crepe, and while it is hot smear about a tablespoon of Nutella in the middle. Fold it up, sprinkle with some powdered sugar (a very nice addition), sit back, and watch your children bow at your crepe-making feet. MMmmmmm. I may have to go make one right now at 12:37 AM.

Rock the Casba

So I had a load of laundry--kids' clothes, mostly belonging to Magoo--in the washer and I move them to the dryer.
Turn the dryer on.
Go to do some other equally engaging chore.
Thirty seconds later hear what sounds like a dead cat in the dryer, banging as it gets flipped over and hits the bottom of the barrel.
Stop the dryer and hear a loud bang.
Dig in the dryer and find one rock.
Turn the dryer back on.
One barrel flip and hear it again.
Open dryer, remove second rock.
Turn it on a third time.
Another bang.
Another rock.
Number three.
Surely this is over by now.
Slam door.
Hit start.
Hear bang.
Open damned door.
Remove rock #4.
Slam door.
Start dryer.
Hear nothing.
All from Magoo's pockets.
Return rocks to Magoo, whose little hand is outstretched waiting...to put them in more pockets...so we can start again.
Walk to icebox for cheap wine.

Fatty's Food Issue: No Teeth Required

My crow's feet are so deep that I figure I better jack up the heater, get me a remote with ginormous buttons, and start planning a diet that requires no teeth. Bumpus taught me how to make this, and damn, it is GOOD! Notice that eating it involves special procedures...

1. Take two of those huge shredded wheat and put them on a sheet of foil in your toaster oven.
2. Spread with 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine each (due to current and future dietary restrictions, we use Smart Balance Light).
3. Sprinkle each with about 1/4 tsp sugar.
4. Put under the broiler under the edges get brown but not burned.
5. Remove butter sugar fiber biscuits to a bowl.
6. Pour in enough milk so it comes about 1/2 way up into the biscuit.
7. Take your spoon and drizzle a little of the milk on top of each.
8. Let sit for 37.25 seconds.
9. Tip the bowl up and drink the milk.
10. Eat the biscuits.

Holy cow these are good.

Welcome to Rufuslovakia.Where Speeding, Stealing, and Murder Will Get You House Arrest. Thankfully, Getting Drunk is Still Legal.

Rufus had a social studies project. He had to write an essay about a town of his own creation. It had to have a name, a natural resource, laws, consequences, and at least two stoplights. He worked on the project last night while I was making dinner. Bumpus had just come in from work...

Rufus: "Hey Mom, want to hear about my town?"

Fatty: "Sure! Tell me all about it."

R: "It's close to a river, so people can swim when it's hot outside. And it has natural resources...water, trees, fish, and a small amount of gold."

F: "Gold? Where did you strike gold?"

R: "Well, it was in the ground but then we dug it all up."

F: "Where is it now?"

R: "In your bank account so you can buy me more Ramen noodles."

F: "Very good. Go ahead."

R: "Well, my town has jobs, too."

F: "Okay."

R: "You can either work as a waiter at the hotel restaurant serving breakfast (is he picturing the free waffles they serve at HoJo?), you can work in a car shop, or you can be a university professor."

F: "I'd go with the car shop. It pays more."

R: "And my town has laws...there's no murdering, stealing, or speeding."

F: "Okay."

R: "I almost made a law against getting drunk, but then you couldn't live there."

Bumpus busts out laughing. Rufus immediately turns to him and replies, "What's so funny? You drink more than she does."

She Gonna Be A Hippie Like Her Mama

Magoo Speaks Her Piece: #0000000000004

Background, Part 1: Magoo's talking is getting better. It should be, because she talks constantly, as in giving Rufus a run for his money. All that practice should account for something. We're in that phase where some letters are pronounced just right yet. She replaces her "S" with an "F" sound...making a word like "Sure" sound like "Fure." And she replaces some of her "L"s with "Y": "Yook over there! Dog eating shit!" (No, Yo Mama, she is not replacing her Tr's with F's like another cousin did...)

Background, Part 2: Magoo, also like Rufus, has a "hog callin' voice." You can hear anything she says from a mile away, even when she is whispering.

At church on Sunday, we stopped to shake hands with the preacher. Magoo was loyally at my side.

Preacher: "So nice to see you!"

Fatty, trying to act upright and good and all: "Thank you--I enjoyed the sermon."

P: "Glad you learned something."

Magoo, loudly: "Oh yes! My Mommy know yots. She FART!"

(That was really "smart"...which, of course, is debatable for a whole other set of reasons.)

The Princess and the Duke

Here we are - off to the long awaited Yucca celebration (aka hurray for the cactus). The Princess is one of the eight from whom the Yucca Queen will be chosen and the Duke is escorting the Duchess of Volleyball, one of the 532 Duchesses who are part of the Royal Court (Duchesses don't get to wear white fluffy gowns - they wear slinky colored dresses). I am just praying that the zipper on the back of our borrowed white fluffy dress doesn't burst from its seams before the event is over. The prior wearer of the dress was not nearly as well endowed as our little Princess.

Life certainly is exciting around here......

Magoo Speaks Her Piece: #0000000000003

Magoo has a twin-sized bed. Last night, I crawled into it to read her a story:

Fatty, plunking down on the bed: "You ready for your story?"

Magoo: "Yes!"

Magoo then smooshes her tiny little body all the way up against the wall, leaving about 95% of the bed open and going to dire lengths like laying on her side, to make the most empty space.

F: "What are you doing?"

M: "Makin' room for your big booty."

Many Moons Ago Part 2

Many Moons Ago

Last Ones

Rufus at the bottom of "The Face," a steep but smooth black (expert) that has the ski chalet at the bottom of...this means you have to be able to stop. Last year, he went down The Face and was going to fast to keep control. He fell on purpose, Bumpus ran over to him to see if he was okay, and Rufus was crying. Bumpus said, "Are you okay?" Rufus replied (sobbing), "I'm just crying because I'm happy that it's over." This year, Rufus skied The Face and did not fall down.


Whoop-De-Doo Haven is one of Boudreaux's favorite trails. It is easy (gentle hill) but has a long series of moguls--large bumps in the snow about two-feet or so high (you can see them in this photo) that make you jump up in the air. The only time I have ever stopped, removed my skis, and walked--and this is counting many, many days of me crying in frustration as I was learning to ski--was when I mistakenly went down this trail. I felt like Dolly Parton drunk on a trampoline.

DysFUNction at High Al-tee-toods

Rufus can now ski the greens (easy) like a pro and is getting more comfortable on the blues (intermediate).

Boudreaux can now way out ski me on blues and is starting to work on blacks (expert). Bumpus may be a little nervous about keeping up...

Rufus Climbs the Walls

Bumpus has a wonderful sister who lives in a gi-norm-us city, with tall buildings and cars (not just trucks) made after 1998. Aunt Woolah had Boudreaux over for the night and then took him to a wondermus museum exhibit. We drove up to get him on our way to the mountains. Of course, Bumpus cannot resist the chance to drive by an REI without stopping for some little fire-producing thing or some undershirt that costs more than my whole outfit but will keep you toasty warm in the Alaskan wilderness.

At the REI was a climbing wall, and of course Rufus couldn't really resist that. The wall was over 2-stories tall, and next to it was a staircase, which I ran up to get this photo.

CPD (Christmas Present Demo)

Magoo is modeling her new fuzzy few-shuh cape, her golden handbag, and her Snow White plastic high heels, all xmas loot.


What do two boys buy at Walmart with $10 gift cards (thank you Carolina cousin!)? Rufus got video game supplies. Boudreaux got books and a bag of doughnuts.

I'm So Far Behind

Where have the last four weeks gone? I guess I was in a Christmas Crack Coma. Or maybe I was washing dishes.

Magoo Speaks Her Piece: #0000000000002

Fatty: "Where is the dog?"

Magoo: "Outside!"

F: "What is he doing?"

M: "Eating his shit."

One Happy Cowboy

The Kaptain is now a Texas Ranger, or something. He really hit the bonanza this Christmas with flags, poles, candy, cookies, LaCocina shirt, and a real Texas Tony Lama belt. Just look at how proud he is. After wearing it to the Boat Show (where peeps asked what it wuz) he tole me it wuz a bit stiff so guessed it would have to be worn a good bit to soften it up. Y.M. got him good when I asked him if he wuz gonna hire sumbody to wear it til it got more flexible. I think he thought I wuz serious, fortunately he didn't do no hiring. Y.M.

Admiral don't care - he eats N E thing

Y.M. got a bread maker for Christmas, very fine one too, 'n The Kaptain was very excited when yesteddy, things wuz kinda calm round here, and I embarked upon my first journey N 2 Chef-Land-Bread-Business. I Very Carefully measured and followed all di-rections 2 the fullest. We sat and waited for 3 hours 30 minutes and Here It Is !! The feller at the grocery who showed me where the dried milk was said he used to be a pastree cheffe. I conde-sendly gave him a big smile and looked him strait in the eyes and said I was a bread maker pastry chef. Said he used to make bowls and then they filled them with soup or salad. Wunder if that is what I shoulda done with this baby. But good, Yum Yum it wuz good. Just don't think I can sell my wares, even to my own familee. Any suggestions? Maybe the lst loaf is sorta a break-in-the-machine-exercise.?? Y.M.

All I Can Say Is It Tasted Good

even had the paddle still in it! Woe is Y.M. !!

I Choose To Ignore This

Lucy sends word that she is not a duck nor a shicken and that she does not recognize the language this thing speaks and that she will not participate in this post Christmas foolishness.
She will simply rise above it.
Lucy has spoken.
Happy New Year to All !

Excitement is building up.....

Lucy is very excited over
Christmas and CERTAIN
that Santa will bring food,
she says she is starving.
Apparently she heard that
a cat had some spaghetti,
she loves spaghetti.
Christmas Photo 2008.

Call Minnie.

Hey Mama, Where Does that Fant-sy Cookie Christmus Ice-in Come Frum?

Mama answers with a picher, cause that's easier than 'splaining in words.

Music to Accompany Christmas Card 2008

Christmas Card 2008

Yo Mama ain't tellin a fib

This scenario is about 2 blocks from Y.M. and The Kaptain and Lucy P. It is spec-taculer. The man has been doing this forever, each year he adds more. He starts decorating right after Halloween, takes about 6-7 weeks to get it all going, some of it is animated, like the alligator that moves its tail, the mailbox that opens & closes and Santa mail goes in and out. People come from far and wide to see this display and every year or so the papers do a write up. I forget how many generators he has and what his electric bill is. Must like doing it, guess he is what we'd call "into Christmas"!!

Full size train, of course

makes me miss my electric train set, just wait til next year kids, Y.M. will be Deco-rated.

3 stories tall and climbing

Can't tell from the photo, but the lights in the center tree and the one to the right go up a good 3 stories. He had bucket trucks that come, like the light company uses, to decorate the hard to reach stuff. What I can't imagine is HAVING TO TAKE ALL THIS DOWN WHEN THE HOLIDAYS ARE OVER. Any body that does this needs to be studied by a professional.

Hibiscus Christmas Tree??

Who would have ever thought of using a Hibiscus tree for a Christmas tree. I guess just depends on where you live. This picture doesn't do the tree justice, it is about 9-10 feet tall, is a tree (not a bush) and is covered with live blooms and lights.

Front entrance to the home

about 2-3 years ago he didn't do the decorations as they were doing a complete re-do on the house and drive AND building a separate storage building out back (large lot) to store all this stuff. The drive is now a circle drive and you can walk through the middle of all this stuff. This calls for a drink!

Manger scene, of course

Nothing is left out .... more than you can image. I think maybe he makes some of the decoration but I also think he is probably lst in line for the after Christmas sales...........

Santa is the host

This man leaves no stone unturned. I wish I had a camera good enough, wide angle lens enough, precise enough to really capture all this. Just wish you were here, the little kiddies too. It is a sight to behold. Merry Christmas.