That's life

So, you may wonder how I could have such good intentions and yet fail to fulfill them! I had hoped to create a travel blog highlighting some of the most interesting places we've been and to a large extent I've done that. I just didn't get caught up. I wanted to spotlight family events as well. However, my job has taken over my life. I work, sleep (often interrupted by work) and then work again. I know, I should be grateful to have a job! I am. But I need to reclaim some of my life from the clutches of my job, enough to maintain some sanity. That will be done. Um, the reclamation that is...the sanity is always in question!

Anyway, I am blogging again. Rather than play catch up, I'm just going to begin where we are now.

Where is that?

Mary has left Michael's Stores after almost 8 years. She enjoyed the job but the changes the company has recently undergone made it very stressful, to the point of affecting her health. Therefore, she opted for better health and turned in her two week's notice and is now free to pursue other avenues.

She was just called to be the Primary Secretary at church. She loves the Primary kids! I think she's going to enjoy this calling.

As for me, I will continue plugging along at work, trying to balance family, church and work as best I can. You know the job has been demanding and I have had an On Call rotation that was more of a spin cycle recently. We just ended our fiscal year and began a new one. I now have an On Call rotation of two weeks on, four off. That's a little more reasonable.

My church calling is Second Counselor in the Elder's Quorum. It too can be demanding, but is very satisfying. I serve with a very good President and First Counselor.

This weekend has been our Stake Conference. We also had Leadership Training yesterday afternoon, prior to the Saturday evening Conference session. Mary attended due to her new calling and I due to mine. It was very good. Our conference sessions were very good too. Our Stake President is only a year older than I am. It's kind of weird knowing Church Authorities, including some of the General Authorities, are my age! Our Stake President remarked the same during conference. GMTA? Ok, maybe not!

Last, but certainly not least, Mary and I have 10 grandchildren now! Number 11 is due in April, I believe. The family is growing and I do not want to miss out (another reason to reclaim some of my life back from work). The latest arrival was Abigail (grandchild number 10 born August 11, 2010 9 lbs 2 oz 22 in.), daughter of BJ and Jen. Our plan is for me to take about 7 work days off work and take a road trip together, stopping in Pagosa Springs to see Julie and her new daughter Aerybella (grandchild number 9 born July 24, 2010 6 lbs 7 oz 19 in.) and then continuing on to Utah to see Abigail. Well, ok, we'll be seeing other family members too! At this point, I think we'll return home via Greeley, CO and Mom and Dad Hansen. Sounds like a fun trip, eh? I will post pictures.

Movin' On!

I am soooooooooo behind in posting our travels. It is expedient that I rush through the balance of 2007, hit highlights of 2008 and pick the best of 2009. I apologize to my children and grandchildren for rushing through all this, because they are the most important, but there are links on this blog to my children's blogs where you can see all our stinkin' cute grandchildren (and their wonderful parents)!

So, hold on to your hats, we're off!

Kal Brandon Flammer
Mary and I drove to Kirksville, MO for Kal's baby blessing. DeAnne gave us a tour of the DO School where Brandon was attending.

Kal


Grandpa, Grandma, Jocelyn and new brother Kal


Museum at the school

The visit was a lot of fun but, as always, way too short! Mary and I enjoyed the trip because we got to spend some time together. She IS my best friend, you know.

On our return trip, we stopped in Far West and visited the temple site.


Monument at the site

We also stopped in Kansas City and were hungry. We asked where the best barbecue was served. Arthur Bryants was the answer.

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...back in Texas
Kristen (daughter #3) came to Texas. It was an *ahem* "exciting" time! Suffice it to say that Kristen realized some changes in her life. Mary and I went to visit her and her new friend Mike Sierra. We had met Mike before when my youngest brother, Owen, and his wife, Louise, brought Kristen and Mike up for a visit. It was a good visit. So, we went to reciprocate.


Kristen, me and Mike at their apartment in Marble Falls, TX

There is a nationally known eating establishment in Marble Falls. Of course, we had to try it out!


The famous Blue Bonnet Cafe, with Kristen and Mike

I just want my kids to be happy. Kristen is happy.

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Christmas in Greeley, CO
Brad and his son Manti and step son Andrew spent Christmas with Mom and Dad Hansen. Mary and I were there too, as per our tradition. Again, as per tradition, we had a great time!






Games are a must!


Snow! A white Christmas.


Back home to our little silver tree

Wacko Waco with Julie - July 2007

Julie spent a month with Mary and I the summer of 2007. We, of course, had to go to work most weekdays, so Julie had to stay at home. That's boring! So, we took a little trip about 100 miles south, to Waco.

We stopped for lunch first. Mary and I enjoy burgers. They're healthy, aren't they? Well, would a burger place call itself the "Health Camp" if that were not so???





After a great lunch, where would most normal people go?



Okay, so we're NOT normal!

But we're in Waco (say, whack-o...yes, I know, the real pronunciation is wake-o), so...

The proprietor is a "mature" Texan with a lot of personality. You might think that a Taxidermy shop might be a little "stuffy", but this one was filled with interesting things! There were "cutesy" things, like this...



Things NOT in their natural setting (I usually see these feet up and flatter, by the side of the road)...



Scary things...



Butt the most interesting was that you could hang the head of a deer on your wall and on the other side of the wall, you could hang its behind! "Ya mean that deer just ran into yer study and got stuck in yer wall?"




Butt that's another tail!

Anyway, after an exciting visit to a taxidermist, where would one go in Waco for some refreshment?





You can't visit Waco without stopping to see the Dr. Pepper Museum.



There were a lot of interesting displays about the history of Dr. Pepper and the pharmacist who developed it as well as a little bit of history about other soft drinks. They had a movie loop that played a lot of old commercials that was very interesting and brought back memories. Before we left we stopped at the gift shop.




Now, what else can you see in Waco?





The Texas Ranger Museum and Hall of Fame! Duh!

I could spend hours and hours at this museum. To me, it's fascinating. I'm not so sure it was quite as fascinating to Julie, but she did seem to enjoy it. The history of the Rangers goes hand-in-hand with the early history of Texas. If you come to Waco, you need to stop at this museum.

Because it is also a "Hall of Fame", they even have a display in honor of...


"The Lone Ranger"

And how could there be a "Hall of Fame" without...



After a full afternoon of hitting the hot spots in Waco, we were a little hungry. So, before heading back home, we stopped at Rudy's for some Texas Bar-B-Que!





Good stuff! And with THAT pun, we come a little past full circle! Time to go home!

Mother's Day Weekend 2007 - Houston, Texas

Houston has a large art community. The sponsor of many artistic projects in Houston is the Orange Show. Here's one project they sponsor:


This is the Beer Can House. Apparently the owner liked his beer. He also liked it cheap, you know, so he could have more beer! He took the empty beer cans and, in some cases, flattened them out and used them for siding on his house. Others became parts of his fence. I'll just let the pictures explain.









Art Cars. Have you seen them before? Do you know what they are? Do I know what they are? Um....no! I suppose they can be classified as automotive canvases for the expression of personal freedoms and beliefs. I say they are just plain weird! The Art Car Parade is also sponsored by the Orange Show. I'll explain a little more later on about what the Orange Show is. For now, here comes some "art":













Since there were nearly 300 entries, I won't show more. Suffice it to say there was a lot of vehicular imagination on display!

Now, The Orange Show. What is it? Their web site ( www.orangeshow.org ) says, "The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art is a non-profit organization, founded in 1980, to preserve and present works of extraordinary imagination and provide people the opportunity to express their personal artistic vision. Our programs for children and adults include hands-on workshops, music, storytelling and performance, the award-winning Eyeopener Tour program and Houston's most popular public art event - the Art Car Parade & Festival. Our internationally acclaimed stewardship efforts preserve two of Houston's most famous cultural icons The Orange Show Monument and the Beer Can House. Our archive and library are used by students, scholars, the media and artists."

To most the Orange Show looks like a house in a residential part of Houston. Here is a shot looking south on Sanders street towards Munger Street where the Orange Show is:




Yes, it used to be the residence of a Houstonian family. The house has been drastically modified (re-sculpted in cement - by the eccentric owner) and he made it almost into a concrete fun house! The owner (now deceased) was a fanatic about oranges and their nutritional value. Hence, "Orange Show."



See? Anyway, it is now a non-profit organization that sponsors artistic ventures in Houston.

After two days full of fun, we headed home. On the way, we stopped off at a statue of Houston's namesake, Sam Houston. Like all else in Texas, it's large! I'm standing below the "H" written on the platform upon which the statue stands!

2007 February and March

We took a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico late February 2007 to visit Mary's sister and her family. On our way there we stopped in Amarillo, Texas for a meal. We emailed ahead of time to Arnold Burgers. When we arrived, our order was just about to be assembled.



That's our burger on the right!

This is how it was served:



Yes, it had to come in a pizza box! It's a 12 inch burger...and they make bigger, up to 24" I believe. They will also make shapes, one of them being a burger in the shape of the state of Texas. Here is their url: www.arnoldburgers.com

We also bought some "Burger cookies"!



Closer look:



The cookies are vanilla wafers, one half of an Oreo and then colored frosting. They were pretty good!

Anyway, Mary and I ate part of the real burger and packed the rest into our cooler. That evening, when we arrived at Mary's sister's home in Albuquerque, we shared the remainder with Mary's sister and three nieces as well as Mary and myself! Yes, it was more than we two could handle ourselves!

It sure was good!

Here's Arnold Burgers:





They almost look too "scary" to eat there, but the inside is clean and the burgers are very good!

On our way back home to Dallas from Albuquerque, we stopped in Amarillo, Texas yet again! Just about two miles west of the city is the Cadillac Ranch:



A little closer:


Yup, they're real Caddies! Each one is a Cadillac from a different year - but I can't remember what years! Stanley Marsh, the local eccentric and owner of the local Helium plant (he's a millionaire), owns this pasture and he and a local art group created the Cadillac Ranch. Mr. Marsh is also known to post signs (they look like real street signs) all over the city, even on residents' properties, that have off beat sayings on them. He's also responsible for the following:

Just a couple miles south of Amarillo, in a cow pasture out in nowhere, we saw this:





Uh huh, Amarillo is unique! There are a few other places in Amarillo we want to visit. When we do, we'll post the pics here.