Galveston 2012

Had a Thanksgiving feast by ourselves this year. The turkey ended up in the trash but my cranberry salad and the walmart pecan pie were good.  Decided to go to Galveston Island and see the Festival of Lights.  First thing we see are houses on stilts and we know we are close to the ocean.

Yep then for sure we know it when we see the big sign.

Just a neat looking church.

 

An old exchange building in Old Downtown Galveston.  Lots of great architecture. Love old buildings.

Then my little eyes spied this huge building and it certainly got my attention.  Cruise Terminal. Ohhhh is there a cruise in my future?   I certainly hope so I loved cruising. Going to the same ports is fine with me, it is the peacefulness of the ride that gets me going.

When we have more time, after the first of the year, we want to eat here.  People say they have really good seafood fixin's here.  Got Phil's attention any way.

Galveston Pier-Back in the days they had the rides and then a storm took it out so the owner built a hotel.  Then, another storm that took the hotel out so the owner went back to the rides.  Just opened up the summer $18.75 to get in and now we here the town is going to start charging $8. to park on the sea wall.  why WHY why.  We loved stopping at the sea wall and walking down to the beach.

This will have to work as the festival of lights because we didn't make it to them.  But loved the way this picture of the rides on the pier turned out.

Ready for more Santa stories? 5 girl cousins 8 and under sat on Santa's lap one asked for a 'reliable car' one a new bed (hers broke) the others Xbox, a computer, ipod.**Santa gives them a coloring book with a picture of him on the front with Rudolph. Santa asked a 4yr old girl who the reindeer was with the red nose and she said "clown" it doubled santa over.**An 8 yr old autistic girl came bouncing in and gave santa lots of tight hugs and played with his beard, tear jerker.**Phil is real good on guessing ages. One boy, with amazement showing on his face, "how did you know" when Santa asked him if he was 7. His mom standing next to me said "He is good". Or the little kids who are afraid of santa and won't come to him, so santa talks with them,  you see them inching closer and closer and then the look on mom and dad's face when the child sets on his lap and gives santa a big hug. I sometimes wonder who Santa is making the happiest the child or the parents. That santa suit is magic, where was his patience where our girls were young? He has made some real good tips from satisfied parents. He spent 20 minutes, it was slow that day, talking to a autistic boy who would come close and stomp his foot and walk off, again and again he did that and finally came and sat beside santa. I do more wiping my eyes then anything.  Making kids happy is the game for the day.

Making of a Santa's HELPER

Here is our Santa want a be.  Let's see if he can pass the kids test.First he has to whiten his mustache a little bit and put the mustache wax on so he can curl it up for his smiling face. 

 Now he whitens his eyebrows. They are pretty unruly and stick out all over so he kind a has to paint some of those.

 Whoa Santa has lost weight this year so he has to add padding to his belly.  This is so funny because he has gone vegetarian this year so he could lose his belly now he is adding it back on.

 Puts a long sleeve santa red shirt on. Looking more like Santa all ready. I had to put Velcro on the inside of his boots so his fur would stay on the boots.

 Looking good Santa.  I love the curling mustache. Every thing is coming together really well.

 Fastens the belt and will be almost complete.  This suit needs belt loops near the center of the suit because his 3 l/2in leather belt slips done under his belly.

 Finished product I think he will pass.  The close up picture below is certainly one for a Hallmark card don't you think. (OK Patty all except for the not so round glasses).

Santa has many stories to tell in just the 4 days he has worked. I will try and share some.  **There are chairs/sofa setting next to the Santa Land where a lot of older people set and watch the kids.  One gentleman came up to Santa and told him that Santa was making a lot of children happy and said God Bless you. **  One 8 year old boy didn't want to sit on Santa's lap and then told Santa he had been molested 2 times and talked about himself and finally when he left he gave Santa a big hug. ** Most of the 2nd and 3rd graders enjoy math and science.** One little 9 year old girl didn't have a door on her bedroom and people kept coming in and out so she wanted a tent. ** An autistic boy wouldn't have anything to do with Santa but after Santa talked to him for a while he sat down beside Santa and they talked and Santa gave him a coloring book.  When Santa went to hug him the boy quickly put the book behind his back and then hugged Santa.**  An 8 month old girl pulled his beard and wouldn't let go.  **Last night 4 husky men came up, one wearing a Breese football shirt (and filled it out like Drew would) and got a picture with his arm around Santa and then his friend with a Cushing football shirt on, he had no neck, had his also taken.  These guys finished the night off super. 

I am sure he has passed the test.  He is a good Santa's HELPER.

Scenes from our world

This is where I do laundry.  I don't much care

for climbing up and down the steps every week but it is a clean place. Has 4 washers and dryers and
I can get internet here pretty fast. We are parked way down at the end so I have to drive. $1.50 to wash $1.00 to dry.


This is the Austin Bayou we live on.  Yesterday I saw our neighbor carrying a nice pan size fish home.  Phil has a fishing pole but I don't know when he will find the time to fish yet.  The same neighbor is going deer hunting this weekend and said he will bring Phil back some deer.   And it will be all Phil's deer thank you.
Can you read this sign.  Do you see any huge eyes in the water?  Good I didn't either but there were some kids down the way throwing in apples, I think, they saw an alligator and was feeding it.ighbor  



Quintana was established in 1832 right on the coast line.  It still has cannons on the dunes to protect the area.  Now it is just a resort town and a nice RV park behind the protective dunes.

Fishing along the coastal waterway.  Surf side City is the town on the far side.  Phil fished over there last July when we were here.

Waves coming in.  It must have been high tide because you couldn't see much of the beach this time.

Loving the moss hanging on the trees.  Reminds me of one of my favorite times with the kids plus 3 extra I think. We went to Lousiana for a few weeks and played on the beach there and we saw a lot of trees with moss.  Kinda scary but neat looking.

This man was cooking the churches famous "Cheese Soup".  It was there annual Thanksgiving Feast for the community.  It was packed with crafts and etc. Lots of people.  Soup was pretty good.

Just some of the sights hopefully we will have time to go see the Christmas Lights of Galveston. They are suppose to be really good.  Dressing of Santa will be the topic of the next blog from beginning to the end.  Weather has been good.  Gets pretty warm in the afternoon and there chilly at night.  But should be great for Thanksgiving.  The schools here our out all week for Thanksgiving.

Arrival in Lake Jackson

I had pictures but I downloaded them onto my new computer and I can't find them. OH NO. I am so very sad. I will go to Best Buy and see if they can help me find them.

Left Kansas Tuesday morning around 9:00.  It was a good day for travel not much wind but the truck decided to be a problem. It started losing power and when you are pulling a 37' 5th wheel you need power.

Around 11:30 I got a phone call from Roberta, my cousin, I right away knew something was wrong. Sure enough she said her father had just passed away. Uncle Bob had been in pain with throat cancer and it's treatment.  The Dr told him it wasn't good this time round. I see a blessing in him passing now and not having to go through the feeding tube and all that goes with that.  And he loved his coffee and that wasn't good for him.  I wish I could have been there for Roberta, I will be praying for her.
             (Imagine pictures of  the skylines of Dallas and Houston)

We made it over Turner Falls but power was not good and I wondered what would happen if we couldn't make it over the hill.  Wanted to be thru Dallas before the rush hour so we did not take the time to stop and see Aunt Ila.  We will next trip thru thou (she will have Christmas cookies).  Went thru Dallas traffic without any problem wasn't as bad as Phil thought it would be. Spent the night in a Walmart parking lot in Ennis, Tx just south of Dallas.  Good nights sleep.

Headed to Houston Tues morning again watching the timing of traffic.  Got to Conroe and Phil found a performance diesel shop so we pulled in and had him look at the truck and found out it was a dirty turbo air filter so $20 later, yea, we were down the road again. Hit heavier traffic in Houston and with the road work it was a stretch of narrow interstate.

Got to Angleton late afternoon and set up at the RV park.  It is out in the country on the Austin Bayou. Where you can swim at your own risk. But, there are snakes, gar, red fish, trout and alligators swimming with you.  I don't think  I will get very close to the water.  Then took off and drove into Lake Jackson and saw the Brazos Mall where Phil will be Santa.  Big mall and we will check  it all out Thursday at a 2:00 meeting Phil has, so he can find out what he will be doing.

My heart is sad. Cambree is missing us because she can't come out and stay with us.  And Uncle Bob is gone and I am not there to be with Roberta or go to his funeral.

Lake Jackson here we come

Like the Willie Nelson song "On the Road Again" we are on the road again.  Leaving for Lake Jackson, Texas where we need to be by Nov  15th.  Phil has been hired by the Brazos Mall there to play Santa Claus.

I am trying to put pictures on here too, but of course, they have made changes to the blog set up and now I will have to learn how to do it again.  If I ever can.

We will be staying at The Bayou RV Park there where they say it is a natural environmental area.  Sounds good to me and then reading on it says "watch out for snakes, alligators" I stopped reading at that point. I really don't like snakes but alligators really alligators.  I don't think we will park next to the water.

Friday Phil went and got his beard, mustache, eyebrows  all bleached.  It looks whiter but still his red color hair comes thru.  Went to the theatrical store and bought  some hair whitener to finish him off.  His 3" wide "santa belt" came in today. Really looks like Santa's belt.  Bought his Santa boots and will get his Santa suit at the mall.  I think he is ready.  Hopefully I can add the final out come of all our hard work. He has had so many children point at him, as we walk around a store, and say mom there is Santa or there is Ho Ho.  Pray that all goes well for him.