Marilyn Talk

2015-12-21T09:49:00.001-06:00

Hello out there: It's December 22, 2015 and another year has passed here in Georgetown, Texas

Wishing you all the best in 2016!
Marilyn and Jack Mackey

Two Years Under the Bridge and We're Still Sittin' & a Rockin'

2015-01-23T06:08:00.003-06:00

It's 2015 and we're looking forward to a New Year full of good times. We're posing here on the front porch of our neighbors the Martins - it made such a good set for the Xmas cards 2014.

Georgetown TX Xmas 2013

2013-12-24T08:06:00.000-06:00

December 24th 2013
twenty seven degrees outside and all the roof tops are white with frost; as well as the grass...
Merry Xmas from Georgetown, Texas

2013-09-28T14:38:00.000-05:00

Sept. 28th 2013 Gotta bring this blog up to date. Had some nice visits with family these past months. In June, Marilyn made a trip to DC to visit with the Wilson clan which included Lynda, Larry over from Hong Kong; Mary and Steve and kids: Nikolai, Luke, Hazel, Faye; and Kate and Chris and kids: Eva, Finn, and Gigi; and Brig and Caitlin and kids: Livi and Penn. Missed Ben Wilson who had already gone back to Utah.
Then, July 4th Larry and Lynda came to Georgetown (Texas, that is) for a visit before going back to Hong Kong.
And last week, Jack and Marilyn flew back to DC to visit with Kate's and Mary's families.
I never have figured out how to put words right beneath pics, so hopefully you can figure out which is which. Here are some pics.

2013-09-28T14:37:00.001-05:00

Getting the new roof - May 22, 2013

2013-05-22T21:20:00.000-05:00

May 22, 2013 Yesterday we got a new roof to replace the one that was hail damaged back in March. Here are some pictures showing some of the loading and laying the tiles, etc.

Spring is here.

2013-04-12T12:02:00.000-05:00

Spring is just around the corner. A few weeks ago we had a wonderful week's visit with daughter Diana Gibson, granddaughters Annie Gibson Pursley, and Lindsey Gibson Graves and her three little ones : Adilay ( 4 and a half years old), Capri (3 and a half) and McKay (one and a half). They flew in from California and Hawaii. What a treat! We managed to experience a big old hail storm in between all the sunshine.

Fun on a Cold January 2013 Morning

2013-01-18T10:56:00.001-06:00

We're having some mighty cold weather down here in Texas. It gets down in the twenties and thirties at night, and then heats up to the forties and fifties midday. Today I decided to put on my ski clothes and take my walk before it warmed up. Sort of fun......crazy.

Two Additions - Not One - to the Extended Family

2012-12-17T21:59:00.000-06:00

December 17th 2012
I forgot to mention that there were, not one but two, additions to the extended family this year - meaning great grandchildren for us. Our grandson, Brig Wilson and wife Caitlin added sweet little Penn Brigham Wilson to the group on April 11th, 2012. I'll put up a picture in the next few days.
MLM

My photo efforts leave a lot to be desired...actually, it looks better in reality...

2012-12-10T09:15:00.000-06:00

2012-11-29T20:14:00.002-06:00

Hello World of My Friends and Relatives: It's now half a year later on November 29th 2012.
We've got a new dining room set which shows a little bit in the picture of Jack and Marilyn (me). We're still waiting for the dish cabinet. Should be arriving before the end of the year.
And this year has gone rushing by pretty darn fast, hasn't it?!
We've had a new addition to the extended family this year - granddaughter Mary Wilson Hales has just given birth to Baby Faye Edythe Hales two days ago.
We're more securely ensconced in our sweet Texas home that came into being November 2007. Relieved and grateful that we have been free of the natural and man-made disasters that have been dropped on people in so many parts of this world.
Our children: daughter Lynda Mackey Wilson is now residing in Hong Kong; traveling in Asia with husband Larry doing work for their church. They will be so engaged for the next approximately five years.
Daughter Diana Mackey Gibson still resides in Oahu, Hawaii with husband Greg where they work at Brigham Young University.
And our eight living grandchildren are living and working across the US - pretty spread out - California, Utah, Pennsylvania, Virginia. They have produced 14 great grandchildren to date!
Happy Holiday to all from Georgetown, Texas.

First pic is Jack; second is Marilyn; third is Hales family with new baby Faye in Virginia; fourth picture is of Lynda and Larry in Hong Kong; fifth picture is of Diana and Greg on vacation in Italy earlier in 2012.

2012-05-20T19:47:00.002-05:00

Here's a picture of daughters Diana Gibson and Lynda Wilson in Hawaii sending birthday wishes to Papa Jack.

2012-05-20T19:43:00.001-05:00

May 18, 2012 Papa Jack Mackey is 95!!! and counting!!!
Here he is with Grammy Marilyn and granddaughter Mary Hales and her three younguns':
Nikolai - Niko 7; Luke 5; and Hazel 3.
We are standing out in front of the house in Georgetown, Texas. Daughter, Lynda Wilson, came to visit also: Here's a picture taken at the Georgetown Courthouse.

It's Spring Again - March 18th 2012

2012-03-18T13:43:00.002-05:00

I thought the drought last year - and ongoing - had ruined my crossvine. But I was wrong. It's come out all pretty again. We really didn't have much of a winter. Unfortunately, we are still very low on water, but the flowers are blooming. The Blue Bonnets (Texas state flower) are showing up along the freeways. And there are a lot of wild mustard flowers like in California. If I can get a good picture of the Blue Bonnets, I'll post it on this site.

Catching Up The Year

2011-10-02T17:21:00.002-05:00

Me and My Kids in 1970 at the Salt Lake airport. I just love to look at this picture. And Diana was soon to depart for her LDS mission in France.
Eva Noelle at her dancing class when I visited Virginia in May.
Nikolai's surprise breakfast for his sixth birthday in Virginia.
Marilyn starting the race - walking, that is

And just yesterday I walked in the Harvest Fest 5K walk/run in Georgetown. I was the oldest entrant. That's me with the Texas Rangers cap on. There was one other person - a man - 81 in the 80's category. One lady was 76. All of us walked. One man, 74 yrs. old- he ran - did the course in 28 minutes. This was 3.1 miles. It usually takes me an hour to walk that far.

This was a nice achievement for an old broad, don't you think?

We've had an awful drought this year - especially in August. We are only allowed to use the automatic sprinkling system 3 times a week. So I did a lot of hand watering in August. Now, fortunately it's much cooler, and the plants can go without so much water.

Bye for now, Marilyn

Irvine and Bakersfield

2011-03-24T21:26:00.006-05:00

We went out to Southern California from March 8th to 23rd. It's always so nice to experience the weather changes and the change in geography -mountains, ocean...But seeing all the relatives this time was such a treat. We stayed too long because we got colds...but the sickness will pass and we'll have the pictures to remember with. We got to see all the Gibsons except for Greg. We visited with Lynda and Ben and Mary Morehead.
The Orange County balloon was a treat. Saw the old Irvine family mansion this trip. I'll identify the pictures: top is Lindsey, Jordan and Capri. Next pic is Di and Danny on Orange County "bike". Next is: JJ, Annie and Dan at Laguna Beach. Next one is: Joey and Johanna and JJ and Di at Laguna Beach. Next is 4 generations: JJ and I, our daughters Lynda and Di, and Danny (grandson) with his son Grant (great grandson).

We Got Snowed

2011-02-08T07:53:00.003-06:00

February 4th It was 20 degrees for five days. I put on my ski clothes to take my 3 mile walk!! And finally we got an inch of snow. Weather vacillates like crazy - 60 one day and 20 the next!! It was pretty while it lasted - one and a half day. MLM

New Car

2010-12-22T13:24:00.003-06:00

It was time...time to get another car. And JJ is sooo happy. He just loves to ride in it.In the photos the car colors are sort of hard to differentiate. The old car is black and the new car is gun metal grey. It's got Blue Tooth for hands free cell phone calls when I finally get it all figured out. I kept the same license plates CLN 017 which happen to be my sister's initials: Catherine Liddell Nelson. MLM

Victorian Tea a la 2010

2010-12-19T08:59:00.006-06:00

I've never been so uncomfortable in my life and had so much pleasure fun at the same time. We ate cucumber sandwiches and sweet cakes and drank raspberry tea and discussed the Victorian/Edwardian novels we had read. I presented a newly printed version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with many old illustrations of the period. Kathalee, our hostess, made the dress she wore which had a Scarlett O'Hara look about it.
I took pictures of all the brave souls who wore costumes - note that one lady came dressed in a black satin cape as Sherlock Holmes.
I was so amazed when I looked in the mirror with my hat on how much it resembled my dear mother who always wore hats during my growing up years when she went out.
I can't seem to move the pictures around on this blog so you will have to look for me in my purple outfit. Bye Bye Dec 19, 2010

Georgetown HS Band Comes to Town -Dec 4-2010

2010-12-05T07:26:00.005-06:00

The weather was perfect. No rain. No frost. No ice. No snow. Sunshine, yes! Balmy, yes!
The reverse of last year's event. And they looked so smartly marching along. And they had 5 huge silver tubas. And Jack came out to watch!!

First trip to Chicago in early October 2010

2010-10-12T08:48:00.004-05:00

They've got flat land all around, BUT they've made their own mountains..the hundreds of skyscrapers! Just amazing. And Lake Michigan is like the ocean it's so large. Very nice weather the week we were there. Friend Jim Robert acted as our tour guide, and we never got lost like when I drive in a new place. Jack got a lot of free rides with the wheel chair. Two ball parks: Wrigley Field home of Chicago Cubs and second oldest park in US; and US Cellular home of White Sox. Went aboard a German Sub in the Museum of Science and Industry. Huge room of working electric trains; really astounding.
We were set to go up in famous Sears Tower, but the waiting line was two hours long. Forget it!! That's a picture of it with the two white towers on top of it in the water cruise picture. That picture of the ornate water tower in downtown Chicago is a famous landmark - it survived the famous Chicago fire.

Summer 2010 and trip to So Padre Island, TX in Sept

2010-09-14T21:14:00.005-05:00

We got through the heat of August mostly by going outside in the early morning or late evening and staying inside the house and car with the air conditioner while the sun shone so sizzling down here. When September finally came, it was down to the Gulf at South Padre Island - but not before a rainy blowing drenching hurricane came out of nowhere. The last hundred miles down to SPI, I thought I'd never see the road. We were floating in tons and tons of water. On the island, the water was all gone. Hot again, but beside the fantastic lapping waves and gorgeous sunrises and sunsets from the 8th floor of the condo. Pelicans and seagulls flying by. Helicopters. Beach patrol cars. Not so many people because it was the off season. I took my three-mile walk almost every morning and looked for shells. Shells mostly in pieces but lots of sand castles people had attempted. Jack fell in the water because the sand kept moving under his feet. Up again in a minute and waving from the picture you see here. Bye for now, Mariyn

2010-06-28T12:33:00.002-05:00

More about the Washington DC visit: It was pure joy visiting with everyone. All the kids are so cute and funny and full of energy.
We all visited the Kennedy Center the last evening we were there. By this time, Grandpa Larry Wilson had arrived to be with us too. The kids had unlimited places to run and explore.
We flew over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on our return flight from Orlando to Austin. They took the airplane up to 40,000 feet on that leg of the journey. Not usually flying at that altitude. You could still see that muddy grayish brown mess for many miles. We had two women for pilot and co-pilot for that part of the trip. I don't know if I've ever had women pilots before this; but it's worth mentioning that the landing was so smooth that everyone clapped. Vive les femmes!
MLM

Telling about the pics in DC visit in June 2010

2010-06-28T12:20:00.003-05:00

I couldn't figure out how to put labels on the pictures. So...I will tell you what the pictures are in this narrative:
First is Nikolai and Luke at the "spray-ground" - the kids can press a control and turn it on whenever they want to...they love it
The picture of Mary holding Hazel is taken at the sprayground too.
The picture of people throwing the ball: that's Mary throwing the baseball in the pitchers warm-up area at Washington Nationals new ballpark.
The picture of Mary and I in the room with the chairs is the pressroom at the ballpark.
The picture of all the kids and adults at the table is at the Olive Garden Restaurant.
The picture of Eva on the couch alone is showing off her pretty nightgown from Ireland.
The picture of Nikolai and Luke and Grandpa Larry and Grandpa Jack and Grammy Marilyn is on the couch at the Hare home.

Visiting the Hales and Hares in DC in June 2010

2010-06-28T11:43:00.005-05:00