Tag Archives: Texas

Summer tomatoes a success

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It was a good year for my tomatoes, even though I don’t have many photos to prove it. My raised beds (above) have been cleared of their remnants for a couple weeks now. But for several months before that, I was able to pick enough to eat daily, whether on salads, BLTs or just cut up in chunks and sprinkled with salt. I had a few issues with birds eating the tomatoes, but I avoided most of those problems by picking the fruit as soon as it started turning yellow. The leaf-footed bugs stayed away from the tomatoes, too, and while I had problems with slugs on the lettuce, they also ignored the tomatoes. Continue reading →

2015_Day 250: Reflecting on our first year in Texas

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There was a lot of unpacking to do after a cross-country move.

There was a lot of unpacking to do after a cross-country move.

It’s hard to believe we’ve lived in Texas a full year now. So much has changed for all of us. New jobs for me and my husband, and new school for daughter. New friends all around. I had no idea what to expect when we moved here, and some things have been easier than others.
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2015_Day 66: No one needs to text while driving

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imageThere’s an important debate going on in the Texas Capitol these days, one that has taken place in many states during the past few years. The bill would ban texting and driving; drivers caught doing so could face at a fine between $99-$200. Continue reading →

2015_Day 12: Tastes of Wisconsin make my day

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2015/01/img_1416.jpgWhat could be better than the Green Bay Packers win over the Dallas Cowboys Sunday? A visit from our oldest, who’s a law student at Minnesota. He made it all the sweeter by bringing two Wisconsin favorites – beer and brats! Continue reading →

2015_Day 9: Texans are so gosh darn polite!

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2015/01/img_1413.jpgOne of the things I like most about Texas so far is the level of respect with which the majority of people address each other. Everywhere we go, people say “Yes ma’am,” “No ma’am,” “Thank you ma’am.” Doesn’t matter what age the person is. Continue reading →

2015_Day 4: Moving an adjustment for Chloe

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Four months after we moved from Wisconsin to Texas, Chloe finally seems to be comfortable in her new home. (December 2014)

Four months after we moved from Wisconsin to Texas, Chloe finally seems to be comfortable in her new home. (December 2014)

This week will mark five years since we brought home Chloe, a beagle and Australian cattle dog mix who has become part of our family like I never thought possible. She came to us via our then-local shelter in Green Bay, Wis., who in turn got her from a shelter in Kentucky. I remember the day husband and daughter visited the shelter, unbeknownst to me until I got a phone call at work asking “Whatcha doing?” followed by a giddy “Guess where (daughter) and I are? At the shelter!” I shouldn’t have been surprised because a few days earlier I had mentioned to husband that I had a dream about him letting daughter get a dog. He was allergic to cats, and didn’t really want to get a dog either, until I suggested that a short-haired dog might be OK with his allergies. I didn’t think it would go anywhere, however, because daughter had been asking for a pet for years to no avail. Continue reading →

2015_Day 2: I didn’t move to Texas for temperatures in the 30s

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Hats, scarves, gloves, boots and blankets kept us (kind of) warm at Wednesday's soccer game.

Hats, scarves, gloves, boots and blankets kept us (kind of) warm at Wednesday’s soccer game.

When I first found out that moving to Texas was a possibility, one of the first things I did was a comparison of the average daily temperatures between Wisconsin and the Lone Star State. I liked what I saw. I figured I could live with average daily highs in the 90s June through September if that meant average daily highs December through February were 60. December, January and February average daily highs in Green Bay, Wis., are in the mid- to upper-20s, and the winter of 2013-14 was downright frigid, with average highs and lows 6 to 10 degrees below normal. Winter seemed to stretch on and on and on, and moving to a warmer climate seemed like a pretty good bet. Continue reading →

2015_Day 1: Looking back at 2014 has me a little nostalgic

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I'm sure my old garden looks somewhat like this photo, taken in early 2014. Yes, there are times I miss the snow!

I’m sure my old garden looks somewhat like this photo, taken in early 2014. Yes, there are times I miss the snow!

The weather in Texas the past several days — cold, windy and downright blustery — has gotten me feeling a bit sentimental about the state I’ve spent most of my life in and where all of my siblings and parents still reside. We’ve always gotten together at my parents’ house for Christmas to eat, drink, laugh and enjoy each others’ company. Among other dishes, Christmas food always includes my mom’s homemade chicken noodle soup, potatoes, Polish blood sausage (it’s my favorite; I drown it in vinegar) and lots of cookies and candies. Of course, there’s always the customary Old-Fashioned (or three) for the adults, too! We fill our bellies before we open gifts in the basement, although several trays of goodies always seem to make their way down the stairs, begging us to munch on them while watching the kiddos delight in their presents. We oblige, of course, because it’s Christmas and it shouldn’t be any other way. Continue reading →

Welcome to Chocolate Chips and Chaos

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Georgetown, Texas, sign

Daughter Cassidy, dog Chloe and me on a hot August day during our first visit to the city we now call home.

During the past year, my family has gone through an incredible amount of change. New job(s), new house, new school, new climate and culture (Wisconsin to Texas). Left behind lot of family and good friends for a new life in central Texas.

Exciting. And a little scary, too. Continue reading →