Fun Photos

 Some photos of Cozumel when we were there a few weeks ago.

A shot of Cozumel from the balcony of our room

Playa Mia Grand Beach Park
This is only part of it.

The eating area, two buffets and two bars

One of the pools

Look closely!  Coconuts!

The other pool

For more photos, check out Wordless Wednesday and Image-in-ing.

Hello Random Tuesday!

 Haha!  I surprised you by remembering to write this post "on time," didn't I? Well, I suprised myself!

I've been reading about Alzheimer's Disease,  Fronto-temporal Aphasia, and Dementia today, due to some recent issues with my mom, and it's so depressing.  It's also difficult when someone asks, "How is your mom doing?"  Do they really care, or are they just being polite?  And how do you respond to that?  Would you be vague by saying, "About the same."?  Would you lie and say, "She's doing okay."?  Or would you be truthful and say, "She isn't going to get any better."?  I think from now on I will say, "She is continuing to decline."  Would that suffice?  Is it too blunt or morbid? I doubt the person asking really wants details, unless the person is actually part of the immediate family.  What do you think?

Changing the subject now... because I can! We celebrated my husband's birthday yesterday, and 2 of the 5 children were actually able to join us for dinner at the Japanese steakhouse hibachi grill.  His favorite dessert is chocolate chip cookies (not birthday cake), so I got him some from Tiff's Treats.  They deliver warm cookies (dozen minimum), but I went by to pick them up because I didn't want an entire dozen cookies. I was out running errands anyway.  All in all, it was a great day!

And now...

That's a fair assessment of parenting!

Hahaha!

Or maybe it's peema pants!

I like how this has a relatable part (losing my phone set to silent) and a Beyonce' reference.

Relatable

And last, but not least...

Have a great week!

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Sunday Synopsis: Death Sentence - The Inside Story of the John List Murders

Death Sentence: The Inside Story of the John List Murders by Joe Sharkey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was not the first book I've read about John List. Many years ago, I read a different book that I believe John List himself wrote or co-wrote. This one is much better and more realistic.

John Emil List murdered his entire family: his mother, wife, daughter, and two sons. Due to List's careful planning, the murder wasn't discovered for a month, and he was long gone. Prior to this, he was a "milquetoast" accountant and follower of a now-defunct sect of Lutheranism. He and his family moved to New Jersey, lived in a mansion complete with a library and ballroom, and then he lost his job. Feeling like he could no longer be a good provider (among other reasons detailed in the book), he shot each and every member of his family.

List then assumed the name Robert P. Clark, became a cook then a chef's assistant, remarried, and finally worked his way back into accounting. John List was featured on America's Most Wanted. A neighbor of "Bob" and his wife believed Bob was John, based on a bust that was made to show what John List looked like all these years later, but his wife convinced the neighbor there was no way this mild-mannered, introverted man could have short his own family. They decided it was just a coincidence, but other people were watching. He would eventually be caught, albeit 18 years after the crime was committed.

Joe Sharkey tells the story of John List from before the crime as well as after. He gives detailed background information so the reader can see where John List came from and possibly why he was motivated to do this. Only he will really know, and he died back in 2008, so all we have is speculation. A lot of research, time, and effort went in to writing this book making it a thorough account of the ordeal. True crime fans should enjoy this one.

View all my reviews

Random Nonsense and Funnies

 

Yes. I'm late again, but I have an excuse a reason!  We just returned from a cruise yesterday, and I'm about to leave again to visit one of our daughters, so I've been super busy!

I'm glad I'm going to see my daughter because her cat has been sick and her husband is out of town for 2 weeks serving our country in the Air Force Reserves.  She took the cat to the vet, and he had to be sedated. They took some x-rays labwork,  and there are some issues with his heart and one of his kidneys, so I can cat-sit for her for a few days while he recovers.  Isn't he a cutie?

Actual  photo of our ship in port.

As I mentioned, we just returned from a 4 night cruise to Cozumel.  It was so much fun, even though I get seasick.  A combination of the trans-dermal patch and bonnine got me through it.  People say, "You can't feel the ship move that much."  I'm here to tell you that I can!  I feel every movement.  The medicine doesn't prevent me from feeling the movement, but it does prevent me from getting sick because of it.m And now that I'm back on land, I'm still feeling the movement at certain times. 

But moving right along...

I'll show you!  I'll hide in this trash can until the vet leaves.

Moving on...

This is valid!

This is how it feels to me a lot of the time!

So punny!

And last, but not least...

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A Few of My Favorites

 

Some of my favorite outdoor photos

Goose Island State Park, Rockport, Texas

Hermann Park, Houston, Texas

Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas

Blisswood Bed and Breakfast Ranch, Cat Spring, Texas

Blisswood Bed and Breakfast Ranch, Cat Spring, Texas

Blisswood Bed and Breakfast Ranch, Cat Spring, Texas

Feeding a Zebra at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Glen Rose, Texas

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Glen Rose, Texas

Japanese Tea Garden, San Antonio, Texas

Fort Worth Water Gardens, Fort Worth, Texas

Big Bend National Park, Texas

The Rio Grande at Big Bend National Park, Texas

Zilker Botanical Gardens, Austin, Texas

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Hey! It's a Random Happy Tuesday!

 

And I'm on time!  I can't believe it!

I was talking to my son last night, and for some reason, I was thinking it was Friday and he would be off for the weekend.  Friday!  How did I think it was Friday when it was Monday?  I'll tell you how!  I feel like I've been so busy with paperwork, bills, keeping mom's finances and taxes, and new physical/health issues that have arisen, trying to take care of my home, cook a few meals, while also trying to start a craft business, and occasionally help my husband with his dad, and, well, I'm busy! I don't know what day it is most of the time!

While I'm in the car running errands or going to my mom's, I tend to fire up Spotify and listen to podcasts instead of music lately.  I especially like the Dateline podcast, and there is one called Morbid that one of our daughters has me hooked on.  But I also found one about Texas crime called Outlaws and Scorned Women.  I was specifically looking for a podcast about the Todville Mansion Murder in Seabrook in the early 80's, and that was where I found it.  If you like true crime, you should check all of these out! (Side note:  this is not the same as the horror movie The House on Todville Road, which is fiction.  This one most definitely was real.)

The front of the mansion.  It had a 1/4 mile driveway leading up to it.

The mansion came up in conversation with DH while we were taking a walk in Seabrook this weekend.  We were only a few blocks down the street from where the horror happened. 

The spiral staircase leads from the garage to the second floor cat walk that joins the 2 wings of the house.
This photo was taken long after the murder when everything had already been removed besides the actual structure.

Here's the short version:  Convicted sex offender from Ohio (Bill List) moves to Texas after he serves time and loses his wife and kids.  He starts a tractor-trailer business and gets rich during the oil boom.  He builds the ugliest 4300 square foot "home" you've ever seen complete with bars on all the windows on a plot of land adjacent to Galveston Bay.  This guy likes to cruise Montrose (an area known for gays, homeless, and drug addicts in the 80's) looking for young men to live out his sexual deviancy (BDSM) and keeps them on as houseboys till he is either tired of them or they of him. He picks up the wrong dude one night and ends up dead in his prison home a few days later.  The perpetrators are caught by the next day.

The killer "confessed" before actually committing the murder. This was written on a wall in the home.

Whew!  Yes, that was the short version!  Anywho... the podcast was informative, and it's interesting to read about things that happen near where you live.  So, on we go...

How many of these can you name?

This is valid!

This is definitely me!!!!!

And just so you know I have other interests...

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