Book of the week... Our Picks

Sammy The Seal
Author: Syd Hoff
Illustrator: Syd Hoff
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
First Printing: January 2000

Book of the week... Our Picks

Skippyjon Jones

Author: Judy Schachner

Illustrator: Judith Byron Schachner

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)

First Printing: April 2005

The Visitor

This blog entry is a little strange and somewhat unbelievable. I would question the integrity of this story if I had not seen it with my own eyes.

Let me begin by giving you a little background for clarification. Houston, Texas is the 4th largest city in America . It's a sprawling metropolitan area covering urban and suburban tracks of land. We have lived in the urban center of the city for more than 20 years. Keep in mind... it’s not Manhattan but urban by every means.

Houston is officially referred to as The Bayou City because of the many bayous that run through it in route to The Gulf of Mexico. FYI… A bayou is a small slow moving stream or creek. The city's geographical location and various waterways provide a year round tropical habitat for abundant flora and fauna.

Last year we purchased a home specifically for the growing needs of our future family. Our home faces a courtyard which is shared by other home owners. The large landscaped area has various brick walkways, stately oaks, manicured shrubs and abundant flower beds. Our front door and our neighbor's front doors open onto this green space.

I recently went to retrieve our daily newspaper and had the crap scared out of me. Standing on our door step was a stork! Actually, we do not know if it was a stork, heron or egret. Regardless, this was the biggest damn bird I had ever seen outside of a zoo! I have never seen a bird like this in the sky or on the ground. The other strange thing is that this stork did not take much notice of me. The bird stood casually near our entryway for two or three minutes, gracefully walked away and then took flight.

Later that day my neighbor commented on my bird encounter. She said, “The bird had been arriving in the early morning hours over the last few months and only stands near our front door or window.” She also stated, “She had never before seen a stork in the ten years she has owned her home.” The other strange part is… we have not shared our adoption plans with any of our neighbors.

As I remember the story… storks bring babies! Jose and I are still a little baffled by this incident. We have one question for our viewers… does this strange occurrence fall under the category of coincidence or premonition? Give us your thoughts.

Book of the Week... Our Picks

Goodnight Moon
Author: Margaret Wise Brown
Illustrator: Clement Hurd
Publisher: Harper Collins
First Printing: September 1991

Nursery Time... Changing Table

One of our readers recently inquired about the changing table in our nursery. Here is the info...

We wanted a chest that would transition with the room as our child grows. We looked at a dozen matching cribs and dressers. We found nursery furniture to be pricey and inferior in quality. We chose this chest for it's height, storage capacity and solid wood craftsmanship. The entire piece is made of fruit wood and mahogany. Other great features include bow front design, dovetailed drawers, inlaid wood boarders and distressed brass hardware.

The chest has great potential to be used throughout our home at a later date. The Classic style would fit into any room and mix well with antiques or modern decor. It looks like a authentic English antique but comes without the hefty price tag. We purchased it at a local furniture retailer and spent $760.00 with retail tax. I have listed an online retailer's link below for interested viewers. The online retailer's price is a little more than we paid. You might want to shop your market area for a better deal.

As we always say... think outside of the box!

Universal Furniture Company
http //www.furniturefind.com/Universal-Furniture-518360-UNI2111.html
Item: Kentwood Bunching Bachelor's Chest
Weight: 161 lbs
Dimensions: 37" H x 40" W x 21" D