Lazy Friday

It's a lazy day today outside....it's been so sunny for the past couple months that when I got to Houston yesterday to visit the family's I (jokingly, of course) exclaimed, "Oh my gosh! I forgot what a cloud looked like!" But, it has been THAT long....and now I apparently brought the clouds back to the island with me!!! Ugh. I am grateful for the possibility of rain though....it's been SOOO long. It's rained once since I worked at Chili's.....so...in three 1/2 months. Yikes! However, the clouds have made it a dreary day and I can't even see the ocean from my window today. So, of course its making me in a lazy mood. Sitting inside in the too-bright-for-lights-but-too-dim-to-energize-me setting makes me think a lot.

I've been thinking about....

Time: how it flys by and that I'm almost 21! Good grief I know it's the age that every teenager can't wait to be at....but, it feels like just yesterday I was 6 years old playing T-Ball or trying to match shirts to be just like Daddy and help out on his jobsites. The thought of how fast all of that went by, I can only imagine how much faster the rest will go by.....scary.

Moving: In a little less than 3 weeks, I'll be moving to a nice roomy house, with a big backyard, and 2 streets from the water. After going through the mess of the hurricane a year and a half ago with our first house, it's taking a lot of guts to move back into one...especially that's not raised. But, what happens happens, and I know that it will be so much better and less cramped. But, its still scary.....we all know how much of a worry-wart I am.

Family: Cassandra is in the hospital for the next few weeks dealing with a really bad pressure sore...and although I know she's in great hands I still have that ping of worry that something bad could happen. Even though she's been here for a short-ish time, I've really gotten attached to her. She's my oldest-younger sister and although she and Laura are pretty close in age...she's a lot more mature and girly in a different kind of way than Laura. Cass can paint my fingernails, whereas I would be scared to put something with paint on it in Laura's hands!! haha. I can't talk makeup or clothes with La, but Cass knows a lot about that stuff and we'll go have a whole conversation on eyeshadows!!! It took a while for me to get connected with David and Elaine since I've been in college. But, Cass was a lot quicker and just like any of my other siblings it'd kill me if something bad happened.

Another family thing, that kind of rolls into time is my one thing that I have wished since Pope got diagnosed with Alzheimers back however long ago. I've prayed, wished on every star, kissed every lucky penny, etc. to achieve and now I'm getting scared I may be getting too late. I'm not one to claim favorites .... but he and I have always been closer than my other grandpa or step-grandpa. I mean, this man is the reason that my NAME is what it is. I would not be Francie without him. I would not know how to Texas 2-step. I would not be as motivated intellectually as I am. I would not know how to go for walks and truly see everything around me and gain an inner peace through that walking. I would not know how to go snipe hunting...haha. He taught me how to do different swimming strokes. He posed an example of being a good Christian. I remember even when I was really, really little and he would take me and Freida (their dog at the time) to the back fence to feed cows and they were pushed down the trail from one pasture to the other. Other times, I would beg and beg to go for a walk in the forest (I don't know if it really was a forest or if thats just what it was in my 3ish-year old mind) and see the giant "Christmas tree". Or when we were swimming he would lift me up really high so that I would be tall enough to grab a fresh pear off of the pear tree. I could go on, and on forever with all of the memories.

My wish though is that he has been here by me through everything in life. My only wish is that before he forgets me that he can see me get married. It scares me that I may be running out of time. There is no average timetable for the stages of Alzheimers...it's just a game of wait and see. So, for all I know he could wake up tomorrow and not know me and that thought is terrifying. Now, I am not using this as a reason to "settle" or jump the gun with a guy. I just happened to meet this amazing guy, and kind of the same story of my parents.....I hated him for the first few months of school and then got to know him and fell harrrddddd. We've been together for 2 1/2 years. He's been talking about proposing sometime this summer. On depressing days like this, when I'm laying in bed in PJ's at 4 o' clock because its too dull outside to do anything that fear comes crawling up to the surface. Maybe writing about it will help. Who knows.

Anyway, that is my prayer and for my amazing Mome (grandmother) to still be healthy and wonderful as well....cause I still need to beat her at some point in Scrabble.... haha. They are definitely the role model & examples for that wedding vow "for better or for worse". I know where I get my inner strength from in the family for sure.

But, I don't want to go off on a tangent again and make this post ridiculously long. So, I'm going to go attempt to get out of bed and go to the library or something. Then, to the grocery store....I'm making Beef Carnitas, Rice and Refried beans for dinner. Should be yummy.

While its cooking I think I'll go for a run to clear my head. Anywho...peace love and pray the sunshine comes back!

My Fish are Photogenic....

I took some pictures today of my plants, fish and dogs/cat. My fish got WAY too excited to have the attention.

























My oscar (the black one) is getting so big!! My red devil (the orange one) was getting quite jealous of me taking pictures, and started being a camera hog.

The plants are all growing well. I turned an old desk lamp into a grow light and its working out really well!! Right now, as you can see...my string beans (left), cucumbers (middle), and broccoli (right). They're so cute!! I can't wait for them to get bigger and bigger. I have them in MiracleGro potting soil that has that moisture protection from over/under watering. I love it! Then, I have some plants on the windowsill too. On the left is cayenne pepper,the left top and bottom pots are carrots, and the funky looking one on the top row is an artichoke plant, and to the right of that is a jalapeno plant. All of the "empty" looking pots I just planted yellow onions in. OH! and today I got some potato planters and red onion bulbs to plant once we move into the house next month. Cowboy and Bear had fun shredding paper towels today while I was at work. They look like they had fun, don't you think?

Tomorrow is Monday, again. Totally not excited. But, the semester is finally almost over.

Anyway, going to get back to reading for Ichthyology. We're watching Desperate Housewives, Dean is reading the paper, and we're waiting for food to be ready.

Peace out <3

Root Beer and Law & Order

Hello...

So, I'm starting a new blog. I forgot the password to my old one. Oh well. I have been so busy between everything recently I haven't had time to breathe, let alone get on the computer. But, I know that it's good to "talk" and I want to start again.

Work was slow today at Chili's, but it wasn't bad. I was bottom section, which I was kinda grateful for because I'm really tired....or was....am. Now, drinking rootbeer and watching Law & Order.

I can't wait to move next month! I have so many ideas for the garden, and started seeds a couple weeks ago, and they're growing great! I'll post pictures later so you can see. So far, I have Artichoke, Tomato, Cilantro, Chives, Yellow Onions, Cayenne Pepper, Jalapeno Pepper, Pole Beans, Carrots, Broccoli, Basil, Oregano, and I think that's it. I'm going to get Bell Peppers and Tomatoes too, but those will be better from seedlings instead of seeds.

The dogs were good today! Since I got home before 10, I took them for a walk around the complex to let them get some air. Bear looks so funny with his new haircut.

This summer I'm taking Fisheries Techniques, Environmental Ethics, Principles of Economics, and Physics. Then, in fall I'm taking Fisheries Management, Marine Geography, Oceanography Lab, Calculus 2, Politics of Energy and the Environment, and Tennis! I've never even tried to play tennis before! So, it should be interesting. I figured that it would be something spontaneous and adventurous! Marine Geography I'm taking with boyfriend!!! :] I'm excited. It's going to be like freshmen year again.....passing notes back and forth and hiding them in books and stuff.

Anyway, I'm going to get back to reading Twilight and let boyfriend have the computer back! :] I'm a computer hog. =P

<3 francie