There's an App for That!

I've been having fun lately with my iPod Touch. There are many many photo apps that can do some pretty amazing things with photographs. Here are a few examples:

Storyville sailing in Galveston Bay

Same picture turned into a drawing by Zoom Camera app

Orignal image of Snowy Egret (just cropped a little in photoshop)

Same image drawn using SketchMee app

Original image of White Pelicans in Galveston Bay

Same image - altered using PhotoStudio app

Snowy Egret

Snowy Egret altered using Pic Grunger

There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs. ~Ansel Adams

Pampa, Texas

A couple of weeks ago I got one of those phone calls that you know is coming sooner or later but you still hate to get it, just the same. My grandmother, who is 93 years old, had been diagnosed with Lung Cancer. The doctors say there is nothing they can do except keep her comfortable. My sister, Stacey, and my two daughters, Shawn and Tory, decided that we needed to take a trip to Pampa, Texas, where my grandmother has lived almost all of her life, to say goodbye.

City Hall - Downtown Pampa, Texas

What a sad reason for a trip. We decided to drive up there. It's a 10 hour drive but we figured that it wouldn't be too bad if we all took turns at the wheel. We set out on a Wednesday evening after work. Even though the reason for the trip was a sad one, it turned out to be a wonderful trip and such a great time spent with my girls and my sister. There is nothing like a good road trip to get in some good quality time.

We made it to Pampa with only one speeding ticket and an overnight stay in Henrietta, Texas. (Stacey will never speed through Decatur again!). We drove straight to the hospital and found our grandmother sleeping quietly. She was amazingly coherent when she woke up to find us there and I think she was very pleased that we made the trip. I find comfort in the fact that one of the first things she said to us was: "it's time". We had a good, but very sad visit with her. The hardest part was when she gave me a necklace and earrings that were given to her by my grandfather. She wanted me to have them and I will certainly cherish them, but it was just really hard to have that moment with her and to know that it was our "goodbye" . I will always remember her as a strong and independent woman. I feel proud to be her granddaughter.

We spent two days with her at the hospital. We also got to take a couple of side trips that were really fun. We had read about a little town called Groom, Texas that is just outside of Pampa. Stacey had heard about a 190 foot tall cross there. We decided that since it was Good Friday, this would be a perfect stop for this trip. Check out the web site: http://www.crossministries.net/ . What a wonderful place. We really enjoyed the stop and especially the reminder of the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross.

Our next stop was The Big Texas, home of the 72 oz. sirloin steak in Amarillo, Texas. If you eat the 72 oz. steak and the meal, you get it free. Fun place to visit if you don't mind feeling like a tourist in Texas! LOL

The next morning we pointed our car to the south and headed home. This trip was long but short and very sad but also lots of fun.

To live in hearts we leave behindIs not to die.~Thomas Campbell, "Hallowed Ground"

BIG DAY!

Today is a big day for the Jones family. We will close on the sale of our house. One big giant step towards our dream of going cruising. We are both really excited and really nervous at the same time. I'm sure we are going against any prudent financial advice by taking this path. At the same time, we have a dream and it has never felt so close or so tangible!

When we found out that Troy had cancer we felt that our future was so uncertain that we could not continue with our plans for cruising. We spent a year concentrating on defeating the cancer and at least another six months getting Troy healthy again. We decided that the doctors try to kill the cancer AND you with the chemo, radiation and surgery. Thankfully they only managed to kill the cancer. Then, of course, the cancer is trying to kill you too. Once again - God had other plans for Troy.

The lesson was really driven home to us that we only have a limited time on this earth. You know the saying, you only regret the things you didn't do. We are determined that we will follow our dream and see where it takes us. We feel so blessed that we have been given another chance to live life to the fullest. And so, today, we celebrate being one giant step closer to following that dream!

Troy worked really hard on this house. He made it our dream home. We will miss it (until it's time to mow the grass again!)...

Fear not that life shall come to an end, but rather fear that it shall never have a beginning. ~John Henry Cardinal Newman

If you wait, all that happens is that you get older. ~Larry McMurtry, Some Can Whistle

When your life flashes before your eyes, make sure you've got plenty to watch. ~Author unknown, from a television commercial

We Went Sailing!

Finally, at long last. It was the first time we have had a chance to get Storyville out of her slip this year. We've had a really cold winter and between Troy working on the house and working his real job, there hasn't been much time for any fun.

This weekend was a little different. I don't recall any work, just lots of fun, and it was high time for some sailing and some fun. We led a TMCA cruise to our favorite cruising destination, Double Bayou. There were 12 boats on our cruise and because of the strong north wind, there wasn't much water in the bay. Double Bayou can be a little tricky getting into with a sailboat, especially when there are really low tides.

If you sail you know the saying - if you ain't been aground then you ain't been around. Trust me, this weekend, we got AROUND. Us and the other four sailboats that were with us! Nothing serious, just had to feel our way up the Double Bayou channel.

We had a decent motor sail over on Saturday, got all the boats situated, put our dinghy in the water and opened our first beer of the weekend. Ahhh, sunny weather, a cold beer, a dinghy and a bayou. Life doesn't get much better than that. We had a wonderful time that night with our TMCA friends and our friends at Channel Marker. It was Ernestine's birthday and there was a DJ at the bar and lots of dancing and having fun.

TMCA Cruisers and Cruise Leaders!

Sunday dawned bright and clear and we shared a great breakfast aboard s/v Waltzing Matilda. About the time we headed out for home a nice east to southeast breeze was blowing. After feeling our way out of the channel again, we set sail and headed back to Kemah. It was a beautiful day and the wind cooperated to create a perfect sail all the way home and into the Kemah channel and past the boardwalk, all under sail. Just wonderful!!!

Troy had great news from his doctor last week. The PET Scan was all good and he received the coveted NED (No Evidence of Disease). His doctors seem to feel like the three year mark is a milestone for him and we are very glad to hear that. He will be back for another PET Scan in June.

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade. ~Charles Dickens

Where Have We Been?

So much for my promise to blog more. I guess the problem has been that I don't seem to have much to write about. We've been dealing with a few personal issues, plus, it's been a long, cold winter and we've basically been hibernating on Storyville and dreaming about sailing in warm weather.

We signed a contract to sell our house this morning! That's exciting news because it puts us one giant step closer to our goal. This is what we've been wanting for so long, but now that we signed on the dotted line it all seems so much more real and just a little scary. First time in a long long time that we won't have any real estate to call our own. Just a floating house that is full of dreams and plans for the future!

We're planning a move to a new marina in March. We will be moving Storyville to Portofino (still in Kemah). We will be on a floating dock and that will make us safer for the upcoming hurricane season. We're looking forward to the change but at the same time it's so hard to leave the comfort of our marina that we've come to know as home. The hardest part is leaving our great friends and neighbors. I have a feeling that we will be spending plenty of time back at the old stomping grounds this summer. They can't get rid of us that easily. It's gonna be a fun spring and summer, making new friends, keeping our old friends and making plans for our future.

Troy has a regularly scheduled PET Scan on Monday. As usual, we are hoping and praying for good results (NED). I always try to pretend that the tests aren't coming, that way I don't worry about them so much. It's kind of easy when they are months or weeks away. It gets a little harder when you are down to days. It's always an anxious time. We really do appreciate the thoughts and prayers of our friends.

Looking forward to a spring and summer filled with sailing and photography and fun and blogging!

As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do. ~Zachary Scott

Storyville

I really do promise to start blogging again. I am wrapping up some business that has kept me busy over the last year. It's almost done and I really want to be able to devote more time to my photography and sailing and getting Storyville ready for cruising and blogging and........ :-)

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:8-12

STORYVILLE