Texas State Veterans Cemetery today.

The entrance.












Where the ceremony took place.







The Patriot Guard.








We arrived a late. My husband has MS. Some days it takes more than others for him to get moving. There was a good turn out for the ceremony. The cemetery ran out of parking spots so we had to park on the road. It was hot. We didn't see any snakes.

Memorial Day 30, May 1868

"Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states." and "Memorial Day used to be a solemn day of mourning, a sacred day of remembrance to honor those who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms. Businesses closed for the day. Towns held parades honoring the fallen, the parade routes often times ending at a local cemetery, where Memorial Day speeches were given and prayers offered up. People took the time that day to clean and decorate with flowers and flags the graves of those the fell in service to their country" from the usmemorialday.org

Today, I am thinking of our forefathers who fought for our freedoms. Their sacrifices they went through as soldiers for us. I said a prayer for all of them.

Tomorrow, there will be a wreath laying ceremony at the Texas State Veteran Cemetery at 11 am.

Here in the Promise Land...

I've been picking tomatoes and strawberries out of our garden. I never had a brown gardening thumb until I moved to this house. My son laughed every year I hauled in vegetables to plant at this house and asked, "How much is this 1 tomato going to cost you this year?"After tending to the vegetables, my reward if I was lucky was 1 tomato. This year is different. The garden is producing faster than aquarium snails. The tomato plants are up to my shoulders now.

Elaine's Lilacs 9"x12" Oil Painting

Elaine sent me a picture of her lilacs in her backyard which inspired me to paint this small 9"x12" oil painting. We met many years ago on the internet. We have never met in person but maybe someday we will. She is outstanding photographer.

Perhaps, a loving groom picked his beautiful bride of 50 years a bouquet of flowers and put in this vase. The wild roses and lilacs compliment each other. The plums push the vase back to give the painting depth.


It has been hot and humid here in this part of Texas. It is like a sauna outside. I would sure hate to live here without air conditioning.

S. Phillips

Another Rainy Thundering Day in Texas

This my elderly puppy. She has panic attacks when it is thundering. She cries. She tells us off. For some reason she thinks we can turn off the storm with a flip of the switch.

The hail we had here put holes in my tomato leaves. Last year, my Topsy Turvy planters turned into beehives.

Happy Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day.

Angel fish

The angel fish is laying eggs on the filter tube today. Her mate is on her left side. She is measuring at 7 inches from top to bottom. Yesterday, at the pet shop they had young angel fish. Oh.. they look so small and sweet.

The angel fish are a 1 1/2 years old.

Finished StudioTour

The open shelves I use for storage and for drying the paintings. The garage is still holding a major portion of my supplies. Behind the chairs is where I store my boxes that I use for mailing paintings across the country. The paintings being mailed are placed between Styrofoam insulation for protection.



The easel is where I paint. The empty table is where I boxed up the paintings for mailing or gesso hardboards to become homemade canvases. The hardware store cuts up my hardboards to the size I want. I sand the hardboard before I put gesso on them. I can teach 4 students at a time.

Abstract Landscape Oil painting

This 18"x24" landscape painting is a little more on the abstract side compared to my usual landscapes.

Roses in a clay pot vase

This is an 18"x24" oil painting.

Abilene Fallen Hero Honored at the Air Show today.

From: http://bigcountryhomepage.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=243575

For Abilene Police Officer Clayton Daniels, the sudden death of Rodney Holder took not only a fellow colleague but also a close personal friend.

"He always had a smile on his face and we're going to miss that," said Daniels.

Today, Daniels arrived at the Dyess Air Show with his family to see the planes fly and to watch his friend's name soar in the sky. The Thunderbirds have placed a message reading "In Memory of Officer Rodney Holder" on one of their planes a message that honors a man who dedicated his life to protecting the public.

"I actually worked with him when I first started so he and I have been real close friends over the years," said Daniels.

Daniels' 17-years-old daughter Kelsey, says that when she heard an Abilene Police officer had been killed in an accident, she immediately worried about her father.

"I thought it was really sad and I was just thinking that it could've happened to my dad and I don't know what I would do, I feel really bad for his family," said Kelsey.

Relieved her father was safe, Kelsey then made sure she supported him and the other members of the Abilene Police Department.

"I talked to him too to help him feel better, because I understand that it's hard when you lose somebody," said Kelsey.

The loss of Officer Rodney Holder has not only left the police force down one honorable patrol man, but the rest of the Abilene community is grieving as well.

"We definitely are in mourning, but he's definitely in a better place now and walking the streets in heaven and protecting him from above," added Daniels.