THIS OLD HOUSE

This old house. She is tattered and torn, weathered and worn. She creaks and squeaks and even leaks! Her pipes need repair, the windows are cracked and wavy and doors are stubborn to open and close. She is impossible to warm in the windy Texas winter-storms and hard to cool in the sultry August sun. Yet with all her imperfections she provides me a perfect life offering welcoming huge arms to comfort me, my friends and family. She is my constant in this ever-changing, unpredictable world. She has held me for one year now and I continue to work hard to hold onto her and nurse her injuries, make new the old, shine and polish the worn and mend the torn. You see, her bones are 93 years old. She needs new boards that hold the porch rockers that hold our friends who visit. We rock and talk, sit and sing, read our books and take little naps. Houseguests, friends and family wash in and out of this old house to create new friendships and memories. And when I lay down at night I am grateful for the 14 foot ceiling over my head to protect me from the chilly night air this final week of December 2007. For more pictures of This Old House and her friends click on "Debs Photo Collection" at the top of my Blog and come visit real soon, rock on my porch and sit a while!

and to all a good night

On this chilly Texas holiday eve I decided to spend my day in the kitchen melting chocolate, sprinkling powder sugar, chopping nuts and sipping warm Soymilk Eggnog ( yes, my new favorite laced with plenty of brandy) and wrapping tasty treats to deliver to my neighbors and friends. Of course they will most likely re-gift them when they go visit their own neighbors, but I have a feeling that Ryan will hoard ALL of his Puppy Chow (the Chex Sweet treat!) and Aunt Susan will make sure each of her dogs get their fair share of my homemade Snickerpoodles. Whether it is tamales, gumbo or that honey spiral ham....may your days be merry, your belly-be-full, you heart be light and to all a good night.

from trash to treasures!

I made this Butterfly Fairy from discarded co2 cartridges we used in whip cream canisters at Starbucks...just take a sledge hammer to them, add some wings, wire and bottle cap face!

~may your days be BRIGHT and MERRY~

Baby it's cold outside!

On this sunny 80 degree Texas December morning I set out for some grocery shopping wearing tank top and skirt. By the time I returned home Mother Nature blasted the area with cold winds of below-freezing chill factors! So I met up with my friends at The Round Top Wine Shop for some liquid combustion!

~tis the season to be jolly~

Mi Casa For Sale!

Have a look at the slideshow to see shots of my house in Isla Mujeres, FOR SALE! Contact me for details! SOLD April 2008

Fun friends!

As I continue to unlayer myself and open up my heart and creative spirit, the artistic energy is exploding again. Here is one of my favorite quotes by CLARISSA PINKOLA ESTES... " Being with real people who warm us, who endorse and exhault our creativity is essential to the flow of the creative life. Otherwise we freeze. When women are out in the cold, they tend to live on fantasies instead of action."

My Art Group

Every Monday, rain or shine, myself, Fran, MaryLou and Nancy gather for handmade fun. We bring along our own art projects, start new ones, eat plenty of chocolate, good red wine, and assorted other snacks and treats!( sometimes it's all about the refreshments) Our husbands and boyfriends have come to befriend each other as well, so no matter the combination, we all feel like family together. We sell our artwork at The Round Top Antiques Fair and Round Top Art Gallery. We ride Parades in the Tijuana Taxi, go on occasional road trips to Austin & Houston and simply enjoy life out here in the country, where LuLus Backyard comes alive every Spring and Fall with our own eclectic artwork, antiques and yard art. "Be glad of life because it gives you a chance to love, to play and to look at the stars" ~ Henry Van Dyke~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CASSIE!

Cassie's adorable husband, Jason, gifted Cassie and all her girlfriends a weekend away from home, babies, jobs, husbands, and lovers for fun, food and fellowship here at my B&B. We made dolls, owls, mermaids, brides bouquets, and tooth-fairy pockets! It was my first womens art retreat since I have moved back to the States and oh how I have missed hosting these magical events! There is nothing like the creative energy of a roomful of women trying new things, sharing stories and teaching each other. The end product was an armful of beautiful dolls, heartful of new friendships and a mindful of memories of midnight laughter, Chinese candles and interesting exposures!! Click on my "Debs Photo Collections" at the top of my blog for more pictures.

"I believe that the circles of women around us weave invisible nets of love that carry us when we're weak and sing with us when we are strong. Let's lean back and let the arms of women's friendships carry us and help us to know ourselves better, and live our lives together" ~ SARK~

Thoughts

As I recapture the Holiday Spirit in my life again I am reminded of how important it is to share stories, photos, recipes and sentiments. With so much to show and tell I will be blogging entries more often now! Oh what just a few months can bring in and out of my life. I remember hearing the word "blog" for the first time thinking about how I used to write my stories in a spiral notebook, and how I shot dozens rolls of films, making duplicates and mailing them to my friends and family all over the country. Now this electronic method of journaling and sharing brings me closer, faster to each of you. Hope you enjoy! Thanks for stopping by. Let me hear from you now and again. Here are some pictures of Scooter and Rachel lately on their way moving to Vallejo,California, where he will be attending Maritime University to become a TugBoat captain! "WHEN YOU MAKE A WORLD TOLERABLE FOR YOURSELF YOU MAKE A WORLD TOLERABLE FOR OTHERS" ~Anais Nin~

On this Thanksgiving Eve I reflect on one of my favorite lines of GRATITUDE.....The Clothesline! From the early age of 7 at Camp El Tesoro and Marys Creek Day Camp I have been hanging my clothes outdoors on a line. I recall the brand new clothespins with my name on them to be used by me and only me! Today 42 years later I am still enjoying the laundry on those breezy, sunny days. I also have a huge collection of my very own photographs and memorabilia about clotheslines, from Amsterdam to Key West, to Mexico and Texas and from all my friends who know about my passion for the simple ways of life. I boast to my guests who stay at my Bed & Breakfast that their bed linens have danced in the wind and been kissed by the sunshine! My special thanks goes out today to W.A. who always made it possible for me to string a line to hang my clothes. Precious moments and memories. ~"My heart is all a flutter like the washing on the line"~ Nathalia Crane~

MY LONG HAIR!!

So now I know what it's like to buy hair products again, like clippies, hairbands and doodads!! I love my new length...it's fun and sassy. Almost like a new me...and I am obsessed with it...always twirling it and flicking it around!!

feeling so proud

As my son journeys forward into his life as a man, I reflect daily upon how proud he makes me feel to be his Mom. It's so hard to let go, but the comfort of his voice on the telephone or a simple smile in emails with photographs of himself in the arms of Rachel, warms my heart and eases my worries for his well being. He is so brave and strong. No longer the tiny bundle I birthed almost 24 years ago, but a big hearted, honest strong soldier...yet always my tiny bundle of newborn flesh, un-scarred, un-tattooed, and un-broken.

L-O-V-E

My son has a delightful girlfriend, Rachel. And I adore her.

slow plane to France

Today my son, Sergeant Kyle Mackey "Scooter" Broughton leaves on a military plane to Corsica, FRANCE, where he will be on his final mission for the Army, diving in the beautiful waters of the Mediterranean for World War II Bombers!! Yep, live bombs. Damn, someone's gotta do it, he tells me. It is a very high honor to be hand selected for this Dive Team of seven young men who will also be searching for the remains of another fallen soldier from the war. I can hardly believe my baby all grown up doing such a mans job. I continue to be amazed and so proud of my One Son, as he is the light of my life. Travel safe, be well and return home to us all. love, Mom

playing with dolls!

In between watching soap operas, painting toenails, plucking eyebrows and eating Bon Bons I make paper dolls, metal dolls, beaded dolls, domino dolls!

swapping inspires me

So now that my creative juices are flowing again, I am busy swapping on SwapBot and Yahoo Groups again. Yes, that beast within that beckons me to sew, bead, paint, cut, hammer, swirl, crimp, knot and alter anything I can get my hand on! Now that I have completely "altered" my own life, I am back to making art dolls, ATCs, paper dolls, assemblages and mini art quilts. I will potentially teach classes at the local Scrapbook Store in Brenham! It's great to have sticky, painty, gluey fingers again. ( above are my Starbucks theme ATCs and Art Trading Doll ( combo ATC/PaperDoll) "Hands love to knit & sew, hammer and saw, knead and shape. Hands that are idle grow restless or bored and worse, start to feel useless and unappreciated. Hands love to do what hands can do. When the hands are happy, that can make a being pretty happy too. " Ed Espe Brown

Mexico feet

reminescing about my days behind me walking in Mexico on the sandy dirt roads, with suntanned toes and nowhere important to go except to the waters edge that washed away my troubles

"and forget not that the Earth delights to feel your barefeet"