Blue Monday~

Endless sky and another take on "blue Monday".
Blue sky Mondays can be wonderful!

All the Pretty Horses

Pretty horses along the way between Alpine & Fort Davis in west Texas.

Funky Friday - Flamingos Again

Pink Flamingo Claw Tub

Sealy: A Sad & Dying Little Texas Town

While the G-man was playing in a golf tournament nearby I thought I'd check out another cute little Texas town, but I was very disappointed in the old downtown area. It is disintegrating at a steady pace. There were a few stores open, but with the exception of a few trucks at a meat market there seemed to be few people visible. There is no lovely courthouse nor is there a town square which one many times finds in these small Texas towns.

Sealy, TX is just about 20 miles west of Houston on Interstate 10 in Austin County. The population is somewhat under 10,000 people (it was 5,248 in the 2000 census). There is no notable industry in the town. A Walmart is on the outskirts of the town which seems to be the largest single business.

Crossroads at the center of downtown.

Cars & trucks are lined up near a quick shop & a meat market. There is an antique store and a resale shop across the street from each other, but there were few customers to be seen.

One young family out for a Saturday of shopping.
Antiques for sale in this little falling-down business.

This is a long deserted warehouse of some kind; perhaps a cotton gin as I feel this part of Texas could have grown cotton at one time.

Even though the businesses look sad and dilapidated the homes are rather pretty with immaculate lawns. Some of the photos below are of the older homes in the town. I suspect that being so close to Houston there are many people who commute to the big city to work.

This is the first home I photographed. The photo below is a detail of the porch.

The G-man & I love porches and swings but have neither at our own home. Pity.
We continue to mull over ways to make that change, but so far have not come up with a suitable arrangement.

Many people have swings hanging from trees in their yards.
I thought this one particularly pretty.

Pretty, well kept homes and gardens.

These pretty homes make one wonder why the downtown area isn't in better condition.

Below is an interesting little grouping of birdhouses.
They were in the corner yard of the house pictured above.

This pretty little cottage had a historic marker at the curbside although I did not stop to read it.

Another swing in the garden at a group of rather new town houses.

Even the most modest home has a pretty yard.

Just lookin' for a home... and I've found one!

This adorable little cat showed up at my neighbor's home 2 weeks ago. He has taken care of it, sent out emails, posted fliers to no avail. We even kept her while he went on vacation, but our cat, Miss Kitty, had a fit that another cat was in her territory.

The neighbor's wife is very allergic to cats, so "Little Cat" must find a new home. Luckily, I may have found someone to take her. We'll see. It is so sad when these little animals can't easily find homes.

She is a little Manx, but I don't know if her tail-less condition is natural or caused by an accident.

Quote of the Day. "Quitting: the new American value."

At Governor Sarah Palin's retirement party/picnic today came the quote of the day from Larry Landry, 51, of Fairbanks who held up a red, white and blue sign that read,

"Quitting: the new American value."

The other side read: "Thanks for the laughs."
Read: "Palin Steps Down" at the Washington Post.

Golf 101 - Ya Gotta Look Good!

Let me preface this blog by saying I'm just having a bit of fun... this is #1 in a series of 1! I suppose I must be bored or have temporarily run out of material 'cause this isn't my usual post... at least not on fashion or at least my fashion sense. Fashion I usually leave to The Seeker at Searching the Inner Me

Searching the Inner Me and Chickdowntown.com GIVEAWAY!!!

... now hers is about fashion and she is sponsoring a give-away of a fabulous Purple Marilyn Dress from the clothing line of BB Dakota. Some lovely lady in the U.S. will be able to win that dress.

First things first! If you're going out on the golf course it's best if you look great, then folks will think you are a serious golfer. Perhaps if you look the part you will act the part. Who wants to look at a golfer in jeans or cut-offs? That just says you aren't really interested. Of course all good golf courses would rather lose a customer than have someone on the course who looks shabby. Most golf courses require golfers wear appropriate golf attire. No cut-offs, no jeans, no sleeveless shirts for men, no collarless shirts, etc. In other words don't show up looking like you are ready to work in your yard or garden!

Golf cap by Titlest, Golf shirt by EP Pro Tour Tech, Golf skort by Greg Norman, Shoes by Nike
Photo taken at River Ridge Golf Course, Sealy, TX

Now being retired I am on a budget (well, I always have been on a budget, but that's beside the point) I look for bargains. A top notch outlet mall will have several golf shops in them... the best in our area are two outlet malls side by side in San Marcos, TX. This truly is a great group of outlet stores at Prime Outlet and Tanger Outlet. There is a Greg Norman shop where I buy tops and golf skirts and also Adidas, Izod, & Puma shops. Some of my best buys come from T. J. Max stores as they usually have golf attire for women. Many times I have found bargains at the pro shops at a golf course and these usually carry high-end merchandise.

Straw golf hat, Golf shirt by Nick Price,Golf shorts by Greg Norman, Golf shoes by Puma
River Ridge Golf Course, Sealy, TX

Cap by Titlest, Shirt by Nike, Golf Skirt by Greg Norman, Golf shoes by Nike
Barton Creek Golf Course, Crenshaw Course, Austin, TX

The main thing is to get out there & have fun! Golf is challenging and requires a great deal of concentration to connect with the ball & get the desired results. Looking good goes a long way in building confidence.

Cap by Titlest, Golf shirt and skorts by Tehama, Golf shoes by Nike
The Legends Golf Course, Kingsland, TX

Cap by Titlest, Golf shirt by Greg Norman, Sweater vest unknown,
Blue w/ gray stripe Capris by Larry Levine, Golf shoes by Nike
River Crossing Golf Course, Spring Branch, TX (near San Antonio)

Funky Friday - Austin Funk

Plastic Pink Flamingos

Visit the website (link above) for a visit to this fun little garden shop in

West Lake Hills, a suburb of Austin.

On the Soap Box ~ Health Care Reform - Oh Yeah!

Click on the map to enlarge.
Legend for map:
Iraq & Afghanistan universal health coverage provided by United States war funding
Countries with no universal health care system
Countries with some type of universal health care
Countries attempting to implement universal health care

The recent blog at Robert Frost's Banjo titled Health Care & Two Bums caused me to want to put in my 2 cents about health care reform in our country. John has managed to put some levity into his blog about the subject, but I fear I have been more serious. After (or before) you read my blog take a look at John's (if you have not already read it) for a bit of insight, humor & entertainment. It's worth the trip!

For many years now I have believed that the health care system in our country needs reform. Many people who are employed are in need of health care and if a person does not work for a company that provides health care then he or she may find themselves in the precarious position of not being able to afford health care.

When I say a person may not be able to afford health care I do not mean people who are on welfare. I mean new college graduates, individuals who are self employed, people who hold down part-time jobs. There are many other examples of people who work but are not able to afford health insurance or work for companies who are too small to offer health care.

Then comes the question, why should companies be responsible for offering health care for its employees? Why should a company have to offer health care for its employees and risk damaging their profits and/or having to lay off workers or hire workers on a part-time basis to avoid health care insurance problems? Some large corporations are rethinking their attitude about universal health care.

This year health care will cost the typical family $15,000 including contributions to employers for our health insurance that comes out of our paychecks. That is twice as much as 2 decades ago and is about $6,500 more than other rich countries pay on the average. (New York Times - Economy Section)

We may not be aware of this stealth $6,500 health care tax, but if you take a moment to think, it makes sense. Over the last 20 years, health costs have soared, and incomes have grown painfully slowly. The two trends are directly connected: employers had to spend more money on benefits, leaving less for raises.

In my opinion our country should offer health care for all its citizens regardless of their economic status. Let’s make sure individuals, families, children are covered by a national health care program. Then if individuals or families wish to supplement their health care with insurance that would be a bonus for them. If you wish to know more or see information about countries who offer a national health care system please click on these links at the National Coalition on Health Care (Health Coverage) and (World Health Care Data) and (Economic Cost Fact Sheets).

In years past I found myself without the benefit of health insurance. In my early 40s this was a frightening situation. My husband (at that time) was a self-employed attorney trying to regroup after being laid-off by a large corporation while I worked for a small school that offered no health care. We endured this for a couple years before I landed a public education position and was able to get health care coverage for us.

Now he is able to get VA benefits (being a retired naval officer and over 60) so he has a form of government health care. He may have supplemental insurance, but I am not privy to that information. My current husband also is a veteran and has VA benefits along with Medicare as he is over 65. Both of them find this system of health care quite beneficial, more than adequate in care, never have to wait more than 10 minutes for an appointment, etc. As for me, I have health care through my retirement and at 65 will also have the benefit of Medicare; my insurance also supplements my husband’s needs and works along with VA and Medicare.

Please consider the information and don’t be swayed by people who say this is just for low income people who take advantage of their situation. Remember, indigent people fall into a different category and are able to receive some measure of care through Medicaid if they are eligible. This idea of universal health care should benefit our society as a whole and not just for a few individuals.

Thunderhead

On the way home Saturday evening there was a wonderful thunderhead off in the distance toward our town. We were so hopeful some rain would fall from it, but were sorely disappointed.