Normally I like rain...

this is how I normally think of flying

Wow! We haven't had any rain in .... don't know how long... and now we have a deluge! We had hoped that when they were predicting all this rain earlier that they would be wrong (they are sometimes...) since this was my weekend to fly down to San Antonio and visit with my daughter and her family. My grand daughter just had her 14th birthday and we were planning to go to the annual Clay Festival in Gruene, TX this weekend.

Well, that didn't happen. DH took me to the airport early (and it was raining, but didn't look too bad). But as the time passed (several hours - glad I brought a book), flights were delayed, then detained, then CANCELLED. The airport was packed with people whose flights were backing up and the lines were tremendous for re-booking, etc. And it was pouring rain, visibility was 0, and every one's iPhones were going off with FLASH FLOOD ALERTS, so I decided 'this trip wasn't happening anytime soon', so I called DH and he came back to pick me up. 

By the time he got back to the airport, the skies had really opened up and just getting my carry-on into the car had me soaked to the skin. Also, the area by Love Field is low, so the Flash flood alert was very real.... we drove (along with a line of other cars) through about 2 feet of water trying to get out of the area to higher ground. Luckily we made it (our car is old and low... so we were worried that we would be stuck). Once home, we stayed and listened to all the weather warnings and road closures (they did close the street that we had come through soon after). 

Later, after I spoke to my daughter (who I had been texting with the whole time I sat in the airport), I googled the Clay Festival... and read somewhere that it was cancelled too. 

Guess it wasn't meant to be...  

(But just re-googled it and apparently it is not cancelled and will go on as planned! They recommend mud boots and umbrellas or ponchos.  I love the clay festival and recommend enjoying it, but do be safe. Gruene is right on the Guadalupe River, so I would think that flash flooding could be a problem.) 

Oh well...  apparently this trip wasn't meant for me, but the cats were glad to see me back so soon!

life is funny... but not always ha ha

It's been a while since I've had time to post... and although I have read a few blogs, I haven't been commenting much. Busy week. 

And DH and I had a memorial service to attend last week. These things kind of take something out of you. I dislike the thought of going, yet always feel better to have gone... 

Then there's my pottery and genealogy class projects - which are running a little behind, our *flu shot saga* which I'll go into a little later, and our worry over a little feral kitten that we believe has CH... Cerebellar Hypoplasia... which is similar to Cerebral palsy in humans.  I'm going to put his story on my Cats, Coffee, and Chocolate blog. So if you're interested, you can read it there (and there's a iPhone video of him playing with some other feral kittens).

I took a few pics at the mall where DH and I do our walking.  They had their pumpkins out around the turtle pond. 

And then I tried to get Ghost to take a Halloween pic... As you can see, she was not happy about it.  Took me 3 tries to make her look less formidable.

'What are you doing?'

'I don't like this...'

'OK, I'll smile... that's the best I can do'

The flu shot saga is a strange one. First DH and I made an appointment to get our flu shots at the doctor's office. The office then called us later and asked if we could reschedule for the next day. Sure. Why not? Then that morning the office called again and asked if we could come in earlier than our 1:40 appt. (We figured that they were trying to close early on Friday.) Sure. Why not? When I asked when, they said how about now? I said OK, but I would have to get dressed (it was only about 9am and I was still in pj's). So I hurried and got dressed, drove over there and then SAT FOR OVER AN HOUR while I WATCHED people who came in after me get seen and even one person who didn't have an appt get taken in for her flu shot.

Now I was beginning to feel a bit strange... (There was also a man in the full waiting room who kept looking at his watch and then looking at me.) Usually I understand that doctors get tied up... and don't worry about waiting, but they asked me to come in right away... yes? Anyway, I finally gave up, went to the desk and was immediately told that "That will be $30...". I said, "Pardon?" And they said, "Aren't you Mrs. Smith?" I said, "No, I'm so and so and your office called and asked me to come in right away this morning. I've been sitting there for over an hour and now I really need to go." They asked me if I'd signed in. I said of course I had. And then they said that they were so sorry. I said that I was sorry too, but I had to go... and left. (As I left, the man who had been looking at his watch gave me the thumbs up...?) 

and the story continues...

After that we decided to just go to one of our pharmacies to get the shot. Since previously we've always gone to our doctor's office, we called the Pharmacy and asked the necessary questions (Do we need an appointment? Who give the shots and what time? What does it cost?  Do you take Medicare? Etc.) We were told that no appointment was needed, Pharmacists give the shots and are there from 9 to 4. They cost $30.99, and yes, they take Medicare. So we showed up at 9:30 am to find out that they don't give flu shots until 11.  We left. 

Decided to go back yesterday after our morning mall walk. Realized that I didn't have my wallet (left it in my shirt pocket from being at studio Saturday). Called Pharmacy and asked if they had my medicare info 'on file' since we got our Shingles vaccine there as well as a few Rx. They said this was fine.  When we arrived, we found that this was not fine. Without my medicare card, it would be $30.99 for me. I could file later with Medicare and get this refunded. By this time I was pretty sure that I probably wasn't supposed to ever get this flu shot. But being tired of all this confusion, just said yes, just do it!  And we did! Finally!!

Today my arm really hurts...  (life is funny)

Skulls, crows, goblets, quilts, surviving plants, and one rescued critter!

Halloween approaches...

Put out a few Halloween decorations this week. We don't go all out for this holiday, just a few little things here and there inside and a pumpkin or two out front. Not into the *horror* stuff... no zombies or graves, etc. Just pumpkins and black crows... maybe a skeleton head or two. We always have plenty of candy on hand (although the number of kids ringing doorbells and treat-or-treating has dwindled to just a few toddlers in costumes - which are the only ones I want to see anyway).

This past Sunday was a football Sunday. DH watched all day while I ran errands. Almost finished first lap-size quilt (and yes, I'm slow). But I did run into some delays as the belt on the old Singer broke just as I started sewing the binding on. That had to be repaired.  But I went out today to get the fabric for the borders on the 2nd lap-size one. With any luck, I'll have this next one done before Thanksgiving. 

Of course I still have to finish our pottery project - which so far for me involves *clay goblets*. There are apparently several ways to throw goblets on the wheel. I've tried doing them in 2 parts... throwing cup and stem separately and then attaching. Then there's throwing them all in one piece - which actually is easier. Then there are several other ways that are as individual as the potter. I keep intending to take some pics at the studio, but almost always get busy and forget. 

BTW, how are you with names? I'm awful remembering people's names. There are people that I've been doing pottery with for several semesters and only this semester for some reason, I'm retaining all their names. Before I only remembered 2 or 3. And then there's the Painting people in the studio next to us that I eat lunch with (actually I don't eat lunch, but go with them to the campus cafeteria and have a cup of tea while they eat). I don't go with the pottery people as they go off campus and since I don't eat...) But in the Painting group,  I only know maybe 3 of their names. Then there's my genealogy class... 

Back on the home front,  some of my plants out front are doing well...

hanging fern

curly parsley

Some  I had to remove when the summer heat was too much for them.  But these 2 seem to be holding their own... and enjoying the slightly cooler weather. 

And I have to show you this little critter who I found in our shower this morning. Our cats would have loved to play with him, but I figured that he was scared enough for one day. So I rescued him and put him outside... to live another day.

gecko

Have a good week!