Happy Mother's Day!!

April 29, 2011

How many of you just freaked out thinking you missed 
Mother's Day??

Settle down; you didn't miss it......we just arrived early.

Today was Special........my sisters, Debbie, Ellen and myself, along with my Mom's caregivers, Sandra and her three daughters, Sara, Eve and Mary, took Mom out for an early Mother's Day lunch and shopping trip in Wylie.

We put butterflies in Mom's hair.......

We made faces at the camera......

We stuffed ourselves with sweets......

And these 50-something ladies not only had a fun time with their Mom, they had a blast with the 20-something girls who so carefully and tenderly meet to our Mom's needs every day.

Thank you, Sara, Eve and Mary.....for being a vital part of our family...

And thank you, Sandra, for possessing the giving heart four years ago to see the need for a safe home for ALL of our mothers.......

We are most grateful.....

Chuck Missed the Last Supper......

April 27, 2011

(Phone conversation between Chuck and me last Thursday 

while on my 2-hour trip home from Dallas)

LIZ:  Chuck, you need to call the neighbors, Troy and Becky, and see if they want to go to the "Last Supper" Easter re-enactment program at church tonight.

CHUCK:  Ok, I'll call them...

(10 minutes later....)

CHUCK:  Ok, I called them.  WE can't go.

LIZ:  Why can't WE go??

CHUCK:  Cause there's no food being served.....I thought we were going to eat at the supper but Becky said we couldn't.

LIZ:  Huh??  You thought you were going to get to eat at the "Last Supper" re-enactment??

CHUCK:  Well yaaaa.....you said it was a "supper".....

And that, my friends, is a normal day in the life of Chuck and Liz.....

Our New Family Member.....

April 23, 2011

HAPPY "ALMOST" EASTER......

I've been meaning for the past few months to introduce you to the latest member of the Etheridge household.....

Welcome to the Adventures of Murphy's Mr. Bill    

He is Murphy's latest obsession........after Senator McCain lost his sport coat, his arm and pretty much most of his hair, and his head had to be duct taped back on, he was replaced with Mr. Bill and goes everywhere Murphy goes......

Thought I'd share some of the exciting places Murphy's Mr. Bill has been.....unfortunately, all it takes is a squirrel or a bird or maybe a fish jumping in the lake for Murphy's A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) to kick in and cause him to leave Mr. Bill wherever he last barked.

As a parent of an A.D.D. dog, I'm seeing a pattern here...........It's a sad, sad life being Mr. Bill.......

And How Was Your Day??

Monday, April 11, 2011

And how was YOUR day?????

Today, we babysat Togo.....We LOVE....We ADORE.......and We ENJOY Mr. Togo.....unfortunately, Murphy hasn't felt the love, adoration and enjoyment Chuck and I have yet.  Tomorrow, he gets another chance......cause tomorrow, Togo gets to host Murphy at HIS house for a play date.....

All I can say is.......

Wear your ear plugs, Walter and Becky!!!

P.S.  Everyone needs to check out this website below......it's a streaming video of an eagles nest 24/7 with 3 little babies in it.......You will be addicted to watching this just as I and several of my neighbors, along with the other 104,984 viewers watching it right this minute!   You must check this out....

http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles

My Day With Mom......

Friday, April 8. 2011


Yesterday, I visited with my dear sweet Mom.......awwwww......there's never a dull moment when us Calloway-women head out on an adventure........

As we were preparing to leave her home at Springfield Senior Living Center and head to Wal-Mart, we noticed a dude getting out of his car across the street carrying a guitar.   Mom was waving at him and mentioned to me that he sings and plays his guitar for them on a regular basis.  Since we didn't want to miss the gig, I asked him to play us something before we left and, after getting my favorite hymn, he proceeded to play and sing Amazing Grace right there in the middle of this lovely residential street.  Mom and I, of course, chimed right in, totally mindless of what we must have sounded like to the neighbors (we're not known for our singing voices...ugh)  Too much fun!!

We continued singing our way on down to the dandy local Wal-Mart where we met my sister, Debbie.  She had come from work to help us frighten all the Wal-Mart shoppers with our cart-driving abilities.   As she was helping me get Mom out of the car and into her wheelchair, I noticed she had a super cool green shirt on that looked REAL familiar to me.......

Familiar cause it was MINE!  It was an old shirt of Lance's that he had given me a few weeks ago which she stole when we were in Washington DC......She was promptly ordered to take it off right there in the dandy Wal-Mart parking lot and hand it over right then and there.......our mother was very very very disappointed in her for stealing it from her little sister.............yes disappointed indeed......very very disappointed......

As we wrapped up our Wal-Mart trip, we found a real chic looking style for Mom which she modeled for everyone at the dandy Wal-Mart......and now Murphy's Mom Blog!!!

Comin' Round The Mountain.....With My Eyes Closed

April 4, 2011

Rock house we saw along the way....

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, SISSIE (oh ya....and BRADY too!! hee heee)

We made it off the windy-windy mountain in the motorhome.......whew......after much prayer, a couple of "hands over my eyes"....a little holding my breath......we made it!  Then a very very long 3 hours of 40 mph gusty winds the rest of the way home.....

One of the many mountain roads....

But thought I'd share several of my "favorite" photos from the weekend...

Chuck was so GRATEFUL to Joe for taking him for a ride on his Harley, he gave him a kiss.
I don't think Joe will be taking Chuck for any more rides.....

Woke up Sunday to camping in the clouds...

Our good friends, Joe and Jackie...

Chuck shakin' things around a bit for Joe..

Joe...after shaking!

My new friend Betty with a Bouffant I met at the gas station...

Chuck swears he didn't break it.....uhhhh.....ya, okay.

We were sure to keep the Coffee Rules at our breakfast hangout

And what's lunch if not at Pam's Hateful Hussy Diner??

Chuck after a LOOOONG day....sound asleep against my helmet
Not an easy picture to take while going 50 mph and scaling the mountains on a motorcycle!!

So......Did You Guess Where We Are????

April 2, 2011

Good Job........most of you!!!  I was SUPER impressed and surprised with how many of you loyal followers of Murphy's Mom Blog knew right where we are......And for those of you who didn't know, we are at.......

Queen Wilhelmina State Park in Mena, Arkansas

This is the coolest place......its only about a 3 1/2 hour drive from home and is the closest mountain range us East Texans have.  I know my Colorado friends would call this a "hill", but to us, this is considered the Arkansas Pikes Peak!

We are camping at the top of Rich Mountain in the Quachita National Forest which is accessed by taking the Talimena Scenic Drive; a 54 mile stretch of eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas.  Today we drove from Mena to Magazine Mountain, about 125 miles away, which is the tallest mountain in Arkansas; all 2,700 feet of it.

Now, I must confess none of the pictures you're looking at are mine; unfortunately, I left the cord to download pictures from my camera to the computer at home, so you're looking at "borrowed" pictures from the internet.....but we actually DID see these sites!

But can you imagine driving a 40' motorhome pulling a motorcycle trailer up these hills..........and how much gas that sucks out of it?? Well, thats just what we did yesterday.  But tomorrow ........ tomorrow, I must go down those same steep hills.......My trusty Jake Brake (air brakes) and I will be praying most of the way down.

Our friends, Joe and Jackie, who also drive a trike (although their's makes much neater sounds cause its a Harley) are camping with us at the top of this very windy-windy mountain.  (Yes, I know I said "windy-windy" but that is because it is a "windy" road and it is very "windy" up here...)

Tomorrow....I will provide proof that we actually were physically here......(if the jake brakes don't fail.....)  And if the Jake Brakes DO fail; well....you'll hear about it on the news!

Talimena Scenic Road

QUIZ TIME * * * * * WHERE ARE WE??

April 1, 2011

Wellllll........we are on the road again.....but this time, we're going to see if you can tell where we are with just a few subtle clues......Ready??