Hurricane season is showing up early this year, with a storm developing in the Gulf of Mexico while summer is still in full swing. Now more than ever people are looking at how to prepare for a hurricane or storm. It's on everyone's minds, which is a good thing because then they have a better chance of being prepared when a storm is heading toward them. Don't wait to prepare for a hurricane and don't assume that you have enough. One thing we learned after Hurricane Harvey is that we didn't have enough food saved. Preparing for storms could be considered an Olympic sport. It … [Read more...]
Life Lately: I’m Building An Ark.
Have you ever heard the stories of how President Lyndon B. Johnson used to drive people visiting his ranch right into the pond without telling them that he had an aquatic car that also functioned as a boat? I'm gonna need one of those. We live in Houston. It floods occasionally. It's life and has been for the past 15 years since I moved here right after I married Mr. Byrd. Many times I've sat at home and watched the flooding coverage on TV or social media. We usually wait a day or so and then venture out to see what the flooding still looks like at local parks or other areas that we know … [Read more...]
How to Prepare for a Hurricane – Lessons Following Harvey
This isn't my usual style of post but with Hurricane Florence attacking The Carolinas and another tropical system in the Gulf of Mexico, it brings up memories of our experience during Hurricane Harvey. If what we learned during Hurricane Harvey can help anyone as they prepare for a hurricane, it will all be worth it. I also have another post that I wrote last year immediately following Hurricane Harvey titled, Tips and Tricks for Preparing for a Hurricane. It's a great post full of advice that you might want to read next. Many times when you read about preparing for a hurricane, the … [Read more...]
Life Lately – Life After Hurricane Harvey
As of right now, we are 12 days away from being 6 months post Harvey. If you're new around here - welcome- but let me fill you in. We live in a suburb of Houston, Texas. On August 28th our town flooded due to the release of a dam to the north of us that was trying to deal with the high amount of rain we were experiencing. On top of the water that came rushing down the river at us in the middle of the night and the 50 inches of rain that we had already received, this area of Houston flooded to unimaginable heights. We live along a river in an area where it meets a lake. Flooding … [Read more...]
The Best Christmas Lights in Houston
Jingle Bells. Batman smells. Christmas is just days away. It never fails that you start the holiday season thinking that you'll have so much time to do all the holiday things and then a few days before christmas you're rushing to get just a few things done. One thing that we checked off our list for the year was to find the best Christmas lights in Houston. I'm telling you - if you're in the Houston area and are looking for amazing christmas lights, you have to go to River Oaks. River Oaks is gorgeous during Christmas. If you're not familiar with Houston, River Oaks … [Read more...]
Roadtrippin’ to Galveston – Awesome Things To Do Without Gettin’ All Sandy
Many people ask, "what is there to do in Galveston, TX besides going to the beach?". When you think of Galveston, the beach is what you think of. During the cold months or rainy times of year, a trip to Galveston doesn't always sound appealing to some people...... but I'm here to tell you otherwise. Sit down, buckle up and let's take a little Texas style road trip to Galveston, TX. There's two things I love in life: One is a gorgeous view and the other is learning about history. Maybe it's because I was born on Texas Independence Day or maybe it has something to do with the fact … [Read more...]
When Trauma Hits – Life After Harvey
"Did yours flood too?", he said with red-rimmed eyes and shoulders drooping either from depression or exhaustion - both of which are common lately in our community. "No," I replied and breezed past him, lost in my own mind as I glanced around the convenience store, which looked more like a ghost town than its usual busy hub of the town. Every shelf was empty. All you could see were wire racks, occasionally dotted by one lone granola bar or a pack of gum. I never even asked him if his house flooded but I've wondered many times if he was one of the lucky ones, the ones now … [Read more...]
Things To Do In Houston: Levy Park
Many of you know that I live in Houston and I love it. When I first moved here 14 years ago I hated it with a passion and couldn't wait for the day that we got to move back to small town life. But as the years have passed I've found myself falling head over heels for this city and the many things that Houston has to offer. What can you do in Houston? Where should you visit in Houston? What is there to do on a normal day here in the Space City? Let me help you with one of those answers: Levy Park. Many months ago my friend, Big Kid Small City, posted about the opening … [Read more...]
Sheldon Lake State Park – A State Park in Houston, TX
Houston pretty much has everything. You can find any type of cuisine, crazy art cars, fancy museums and quirky museums, quiet sleepy subdivisions and very tall high rises that you can feel sway in the wind. But did you know that Houston has a state park? Sheldon Lake State Park is a state park in Houston, TX. It's hidden in the far east side of Houston where the developments haven't quite reached yet. I first heard about it months ago (after living here for 12 years) while looking for a good place to go fishing in Houston. Every web page I found on Sheldon Lake … [Read more...]
Mercer Arboretum and Botanical Garden
One of the best parts of living in a large city like Houston is that there's so many great things you can do on any given day. Some days we might wander through the art museum or check out the latest traveling sculpture downtown. Other days we might go strawberry picking or head to the local Chinatown to visit the dollar store there. One of the things that we do often is visit Mercer Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Mercer Arboretum and Botanical Gardens are amazing because they're free to the public which means that anytime we're headed that way, we're going to stop by … [Read more...]
Painting With a Twist!
I have a new addiction. Painting with a Twist. Have you been? If you're not sure what that is - let me take a minute and explain. You know how most of us dream of just whipping out a canvas and painting a show stopping masterpiece? So you go to hobby lobby, load up on all the different shades of paint and a few random brushes and come home to paint your masterpiece! And when you're finished it looks more like an elephant painted it using his trunk, a stick and a mixture of mud and other brown stuff? Yeah. That. If that's ever happened to you than you need to get … [Read more...]
Beautiful Views and Duck
Without a doubt, I love beautiful views. There's a hill near my in laws house that has views of a valley and small town. Everytime we visit my husband makes fun of me because I just have to stop there and look for a little while. In Houston, it's hard to find areas with amazing views. Houston is flat. There's no hills and no valleys. So imagine my surprise when we were checking out our new side of town two years ago and wandered into this park that boarders a river. It's calm and beautiful with a boardwalk leading you into a little cove. And if … [Read more...]
