The Farmer's Daughter

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day

2012-02-13T11:05:00.000-06:00

Do you set a special table for your Valentine? I don't know where I'd put it or if I'd ever use it, but I've always admired silver coffee and tea sets like the one above. It doesn't really fit into our casual lifestyle, but it is so pretty. I also love pretty dishes and stemmed glassware and have several sets. If I had the space, I would have dinnerware and glassware in every color.

Will you fix a special meal or go out for dinner? I don't usually do anything special for Valentine's anymore. If it were the weekend, we'd probably go out to eat.

This is the scene that I woke up to early this morning. The snow is still falling and the weatherman says we will get between 2-4 inches. I hope he's wrong!

It's time for me to go check on my feathered friends and see if the feeders need filling. I'll say Happy Valentine's Day now. Enjoy your day!

Until next time...

A snack idea

2012-02-09T00:35:00.000-06:00

The Super Bowl has been played, the Giants won...Yay!...snacks have been consumed. We still have a few things left over that we're still snacking on. One being the Spicy Saltine Crackers pictured above. Have you made these? The simple recipe is as follows:

Spicy Saltine Crackers

3 sleeves of saltine crackers

1 cup Canola Oil

2 TB. red pepper flakes

1 pkg Fiesta Ranch Dressing, dry

Put crackers in a large Ziploc bag or a large bowl.

Add other ingredients and turn frequently at least

a couple of hours. The longer you turn them,

the better they are.

Note: The crackers are pretty

crowded in a gallon size bag,

but that's what I use.

* * * * * * * *

Thanks for all the suggestions about my commenting problem. I downloaded Google Chrome and I am now able to comment on the blogs that I couldn't before.

Until next time...

Red roofed Missouri barn

2012-02-07T01:39:00.000-06:00

Red roofed barn somewhere in mid-Missouri, photo taken in December last year. Another angle of the same barn below.

Linking to Tricia's Barn Charm

Re: Not being able to comment on some blogs. Several suggested that I switch browsers if I were using Internet Explorer. I have been using Firefox for a couple of years now. Maybe I will try Chrome next and see if that will take care of the problem.

Until next time...

A long awaited sighting

2012-02-06T00:05:00.008-06:00

Last week I mentioned a little road trip that we had taken. My lineman hubby had told me recently of seeing something in this area while patrolling a power line. Something that I'd been wanting to see. It was a nice, sunny day as we headed down the highway. After a few miles through the countryside, we turned down a small gravel road that runs along the Missouri River.

The gravel road was very close to the river, as you can see. All the sand you see is from the river having changed its course. I was standing beside the car as I took this shot while asking Hubby "where are they"? He spotted one right away, but it took me a bit to find it so I could zoom in. Finally, I spotted a black dot on the sand across the river. The place where we stopped was one of the few spots that didn't have trees in the way of a clear view of the river.

Here he is! I was pretty excited to see my first Bald Eagle that wasn't flying over my house such as the pair we saw last summer. Let's get a closer look.

Isn't he a beauty? Sorry my shot isn't more clear, but I was just a bit excited and it was hard to hold the camera still with the lens zoomed for the closest shot that I could get.

There was only one Bald Eagle to be seen that day. He stood still for as long as we were watching, presumably watching the water for a fish to nab for dinner. It was a short, but sweet road trip. I got to get a shot of my very first Bald Eagle!

I'm still not able to comment on a few of my regular blogs that I read. I don't know why. So if I haven't commented on your blog lately, sorry, it's because I can't!

Until next time...

Winter dreaming

2012-02-02T11:34:00.000-06:00

A real friend is someone who takes a winter vacation on a sun-drenched beach and does not send a card. ~Farmer's Almanac

I wish I could say that the view above was taken from my hotel balcony recently, but in fact this photo was taken by my son on a December business trip to Destin, Florida. I love the way the reflection of the morning sun shining through the clouds looks on the water.

We have had some wonderful weather so far this winter. This time last year, we were in the middle of a big blizzard and could only dream of being somewhere warm and beautiful such as in the scene above. Some of you live on or near the water, others live with mountains nearby, maybe you live in the midwest like I do and enjoy the rolling countryside. If you were taking a winter vacation would you head for the beach or enjoy warmer weather in the southwest? Are you California dreaming or would sitting before a roaring fire in a ski lodge be your cup of tea? How about just being content to be at home enjoying nice weather this winter? That's what I'm doing. However, I might have an occasional thought or two about walking along the beach or sitting on a balcony with a view like the one above.

Until next time...

A Missouri barn

2012-01-31T01:11:00.000-06:00

This week's barn is at home on a farm in mid-Missouri. It looks to be sporting fairly new doors. Let's zoom in for a closer look.

The doors are definitely newer than the barn. Peeking inside, you can see that it's a working barn, housing large round hay bales.

You still see a few of the small square bales in hay fields from time to time, but most farmers, at least in our area, bale their hay into large round bales.

That brings me to mention the elevator that was seen in a previous barn photo I shared a couple of weeks ago. Someone asked what it was used for. Farmers would stack small hay bales on a wagon and haul it from the field to the barn and would unload on the elevator which would take the bales to the hayloft. You can see the elevator here. My dad had such an elevator at one time and if I remember right it was hooked up somehow to the tractor to move the bales along.

Back in the days before the large round baled hay, boys old enough to hoist a hay bale could make some pretty good money during the summer hauling hay.

Linking to Tricia's Barn Charm

Until next time...

A funny...

2012-01-30T00:42:00.001-06:00

Internet photo

Have you seen this one? The caption just cracked me up!

Hope you had a good weekend. It was fairly quiet around here. Hubby took me on a little road trip this afternoon where I got to see something I've been wanting to see. I'll tell you about it later in the week. Have a great week!

Until next time...

Just one of those days

2012-01-26T00:39:00.002-06:00

It was one of those days. I looked online for tutorials

for my particular camera Tuesday night. Found a

couple and bookmarked them for perusing later.

I am trying to learn more about shooting

close-ups.

So, yesterday, I looked in my bookmarks and

I couldn't find them anywhere. I looked in

history and couldn't find what I needed there.

So I decided to go on to something else.

Stormy was the subject of some of my

close-up practice shooting since she was

in the middle of things anyway. Well, she

put her little paw on the keyboard and I lost

what I was typing. It was a nice little post

for today. I didn't get it retrieved. She got put

down on the floor.

I then decided that maybe this wasn't a good

time for blogging so I decided to look at the

news.

I don't want to talk about politics...at least

not today...I don't want to offend anyone.

But, is it just me or has M.axine pretty

well summed it up?

I turned off the computer, put in another

load of clothes, put away the ones that

were dry and got a book off the shelf.

After a few chapters, it was

time to fix something for supper.

I made potato soup and pondered what

happened to my bookmarks, thought about

politics, and decided that I'm really glad I'm not

married to a politician, but a computer geek

would sure come in handy some days.

* * * * * * * *
Speaking of computer problems, I'm still

not able to comment on a few blogs. I see

other people commenting there that I know,

but there isn't a comment box on my screen.

Anyone else still having problems with this?

Until next time...

Barn Charm Tuesday

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-06:00

This barn appears to have been made
mostly with concrete blocks, at least
for the siding. I'd love a peek inside this one.

This photo was taken in late December.
It's amazing how green the grass was then.

Linking to Tricia's Barn Charm

Until next time...

Monday musings

2012-01-23T00:03:00.001-06:00

I love to sky watch. More often than not, there are several

jets streaking across the skies at any given moment.

Do you wonder who might be on board or where they are headed?

This weekend sure streaked by in a hurry. In fact, this

month is going by quickly. Where does the time go?

Do you ever feel that life is just moving

along at such a fast pace and you're not accomplishing

all you want to do? I sometimes do, until I happen upon

a scene that is so soothing and calming and time seems to

stand still for a few minutes. Then all those

goals and bucket lists seem to not be quite so important

after all. I love those moments.

Barren trees in winter have a certain charm, I think.

Winter can be very cold and sometimes with snow or ice

in my state. Last night, we had a bit of thunder

and rain after a day with temps in the 50s.

The days have been gloomy and overcast the last few days.

The sun came out for all of 5 minutes yesterday.

The photo above was taken the last week of Dec.

* * * * * * *

My thanks to all of you who left such sweet comments

on my last post. I read many with tears streaming

down my cheeks. Not because they made me unhappy,

but because all of you are so sweet and kind.

Thank you.

Until next time...

Remembering

2012-01-19T04:37:00.001-06:00

Remembering Mother

January 19, 1918 - July 15, 1977

Mother married my dad at the age of 19. She never worked away from home, but was a farm wife until they retired and sold the farm. Mother was an excellent cook, for she had plenty of practice preparing 3 meals a day 7 days a week. Dad often had someone helping him with farming until my brothers were old enough to help, so she often fed extra people. She also was an excellent seamstress and made a lot of my clothes as well as many of her own. She made the coat she is wearing in the first photo above. In the second photo is my mother, dad and her sister. The third photo shows Mother in the kitchen at the farm and the last photo is a four generation photo of my grandmother, mother, yours truly and my daughter.

Another four generation photo on the left, I am on the far left. The middle photo is my mother and her 3 children, my older brother on the left and younger brother on the right. The third photo is my mother examining a new purse that she got for Christmas. My aunt, her sister, is looking on.

There are many stories I could tell about my mother. She was a good person who rarely ever said an unkind word about anyone. I'm not so sure she loved living on the farm, but I do know she loved her children. This is a hard story to write, even after all these years, because my mother died at the age of 59 of Lou Gehrig's disease or ALS. I was 31 years old and had a 5 year old daughter and a 2 week old son at her passing. She loved her granddaughter to pieces and lived long enough to be able to hold her grandson. She would have loved him, too, and I know she would have attended all of his ball games as she loved sports.

Mother also loved Christmas and delighted in surprising us kids with the tree all decorated and the lights on when we got off the school bus and walked up the lane. She always had a big Christmas dinner on Christmas eve. My grandmother would have the Thanksgiving dinner at her house. I always looked forward to both these holidays because we were with all of our family including my grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousin.

Many of you already know this, but for my new readers I will mention that I also lost both of my brothers to this same horrible disease. They both passed away before they turned 50.

Life goes on and I had my children to raise and love. I missed my mother so much over the years and, of course, my brothers. I take comfort in knowing that I will see them again some day. My dad passed away nearly 8 years ago, so the only family I have left besides my hubby and children is my aunt who has been a wonderful friend to me. My aunt is 8 years younger than my mother and has a lot of stories to share about their childhood. One of the stories my dad used to tell was when he was dating my mother he often picked her up on horseback. They went to barn dances where I've heard they were both quite the dancers. I know my mother loved music and always had the radio on or would often sit down at the piano and play and sing.

There is so much more that I could tell about Mother. But, I better stop now and save some stories for another time. For those of you who still have your mother, give her a big hug when her birthday comes around and let her know how much you love her. Or better yet, don't wait for that special day...let her know now.

Until next time...

It's Barn Charm day

2012-01-17T00:15:00.002-06:00

This rustic barn was seen on a recent drive through the countryside.

It looks as if the roof has seen some repair. I wonder
if it is in use today? I think it still has a certain charm,
what do you think?

Linking to Tricia's Barn Charm

Until next time...

Sunset across the river

2012-01-16T02:46:00.000-06:00

These were taken by the Missouri River the last week of 2011.

I. Love. Sunsets. It's safe to say that sunsets are one of my favorite subjects to photograph. What about you...what is your favorite subject?

Until next time...

Castles and dreams

2012-01-13T03:08:00.000-06:00

Image from the internet

If I had an extra 1.8 million to spare, I might consider buying a castle. The C.astle R.ogue's M.anor on the White River in Eureka Springs, AR is up for sale. This castle has 15,000 square feet with 12 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms. There is also a G.atekeeper's C.ottage on the 17 acres.

Haven't we all at one time in our lives wanted to live in a castle? I did when I was a young girl. That was a dream of mine in between wanting to be a ballerina and wanting to have my own race horse to run in the Kentucky Derby. What can I say, I was a dreamer. I still may have one or two.

Do you remember the opening scene in the Sound of Music when Julie Andrews was singing on the mountain? I would love to go to Austria and stand in just that same spot and see the marvelous views from that mountain for myself. I would try to restrain myself from breaking into song. That is one dream of mine. Not that I will ever get to Austria. There is something about those long flights... And speaking of the Sound of Music, can you believe that the movie came out almost 47 years ago in 1965?

What about you...have all your dreams come true or is there something you still want to do or have?

Until next time...

A Wonderful Wednesday

2012-01-11T00:05:00.009-06:00

I've been awarded this wonderful award this week by

Marie at www.womentalkaboutlife.blogspot.com

Thank you, Marie, I'm honored!

If you haven't met Marie yet, please pay her

sweet blog a visit and say hello!

The rules for accepting this award are:

1. Be a follower of this blog.

2. Pass the award on to 3 other blogs.

3. Lastly, link the award back to this blog.

It's always tough to narrow awards down to just a few blogs out of many deserving and wonderful ones and many do not participate in awards. Here are my 3 in no particular order:

Susan at The Adventure of Old Alice has a little of this and a little of that on her blog along with fantastic photos.

Dianna at These Days of Mine lives by the water with Motor Man and her kitty, Sundae. She writes great posts embellished with amazing photos.

Ginny at Let Your Light Shine has a very friendly and uplifting blog. Her love for God and her family definitely shines through.

All of the blogs I follow are wonderful and these are just 3 of them. Please go visit Susan, Dianna, Ginny and of course, Marie, if you haven't already met them. You'll be glad you did!

Until next time...

Amish barn charm

2012-01-10T00:14:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I posted about a recent and quick visit to an Amish community. Red barns are a common sight and they are very large.

While the Amish don't use electricity, there was an electric line running along the highway to service those who live nearby that aren't of the Amish community. You can see the lines in the top of this photo.

Large silos are seen along side most of the barns.

A large shock stands front and center in the field on this farm which houses several nice barns.

Linking to Tricia's Barn Charm

Until next time...

An interesting community

2012-01-09T00:05:00.012-06:00

Not long ago, I was in an Amish community and took a few drive-by photos. This was on a Monday, and a nice day, so I saw a lot of laundry hung out to dry. As you probably know, most Amish don't use electricity. You will not see many or any electric lines in this area. Some day I want to go back and get off the blacktop highway and explore further down the many gravel roads. There are many signs you'll see along the way that advertise what goods the families have for sale at their home. There are quilts, rugs, baskets, baked goods, sorghum, furniture, feed and farm supplies to name a few. There is a general store that I want to visit some day. It's a most interesting community and a very different way of life from what we know. I didn't stop by any homes this trip although those baked goods really tempted me!

A wagon in the barn yard. Most Amish in this community don't have gas driven vehicles or farm equipment.

You will see quite a few horses since they are used to pull the buggies and wagons. This horse, which is almost the same color as the hay, has just eaten his fill from the hay stack.

A field of corn shocks that will feed their livestock through the winter.

A corn crib that holds the shucked corn. You don't see many of these kinds of corn cribs on most farms now.

This Amish farm had the neatest row of corn shocks. The row seemed to go on forever. It would be interesting to know how fast they are able to harvest their crops and stack the corn when they don't use modern equipment.

I want to go back to this community and get more photos and look up that general store I heard about. And stop in at one of the homes that sell homemade bread. The homes are big and well-built as are their barns. I will show a couple of the barns tomorrow.

Until next time...

2012-01-06T13:39:00.000-06:00

On a train bound to nowhere...remember that line in the old Kenny Roger's song? This photo taken a couple of weeks ago made me think of the song and got me to wondering if there is a town actually called Nowhere somewhere. Now maybe everyone already knew this but me, but I had to google and found that there actually is a Nowhere in Oklahoma. It is in the unincorporated county of Caddo in OK. It even has a zip code. Also, there is a place called Nowhere in Arizona with a whopping big population of 5. I don't believe I saw a zip code for that one. I love to find little tidbits like these. Somewhere out there....I love that song, too....is a Nowhere! Which now leads me to think of the Beatles song. Name that song! Okay, I'll quit now.

Where is your train headed this weekend? Are you staying at home and resting up from the previous holidays or do you have projects in mind to tackle or will you be on the road to somewhere? Wherever your train stops or even if it doesn't leave the station, I hope your weekend is a good one!

Until next time...

Communication

2012-01-05T01:36:00.000-06:00

It seems that letter writing is becoming a lost art. How many of us take the time to write a letter on beautiful stationery and then mail it to its destination?

We now just pick up the telephone or cell phone or send off a quick text message using in most cases abbreviations. Can you imagine a lovely handwritten letter with LOL or <grin> or HAGD in it?

Another form of communication is emailing. I'm not very good at emailing. I sometimes forget to check my emails for days on end. Now if I would get a nice handwritten letter, I would open it up immediately and sit down to read every word. I love to get cards and enjoy the handwritten messages that are usually included.

A favorite form of communication for me is talking on the phone. I like to hear the caller's voice, much can be understood by hearing their tone of voice. And there's nothing sweeter than hearing a loved one's voice saying "I love you" at the end of the conversation!

What is your favorite form of communication? Do you write letters to your friends and family? Or do you just pick up the phone to hear their voice? Do you enjoy emailing or texting?

Here's to a good year filled with lovely words and thoughts sent your way no matter what the method of sending is!

Until next time...

Focusing

2012-01-04T03:31:00.002-06:00

On my list of goals this year is to read the

online manual that came with my camera and

learn how to take better photos. See the

squirrel above? I took several shots and none

of them were very clear. It was an extremely

windy day (see the tail, it was the wind that

kept it up over the squirrels back) and the limbs were

swaying so I'm thinking the movement was

a factor. I do know that this camera of mine often

seems to have some problems with focusing. Or

is it the photographer? So, it's time to get the

manual online and read, read, read. Then,

practice, practice, practice!

The main goal I've mentioned in another post is adopting a

healthier lifestyle. It's something my whole family is

wanting to do. My husband's heart attack last

July was a wake up call. I'm considered to be

diabetic even though my numbers aren't extremely high,

they are above the level they are supposed to be.

The doctor tells me I need to give up the sugar.

I suppose that means I won't be baking too many

cakes (see photo above...it's my favorite! If you want

my recipe, I'll be happy to pass it along.) or cookies.

Well, I really don't bake too many cookies because,

frankly, I don't like to. I'd rather make brownies.

My husband has a sweet tooth and loves salty foods,
according to his heart doctor, he needs to watch his diet, too.
I can't help him quit smoking, which he also needs to do,

but I can control what is put on the dinner table.

Heart disease runs in his family so I'm hoping my

adult children will adopt a healthier lifestyle, too. It

requires discipline and focus. I am determined that

we will be healthier by the year's end!

Until next time...

A white barn charm

2012-01-02T22:21:00.000-06:00

The photo of this large white barn was taken several days ago. It was seen on a drive through rural mid-Missouri.

Linking to Tricia's Barn Charm

Until next time...

It's 2012!!

2012-01-01T21:08:00.000-06:00

How did 2011 go by so fast? Are you glad

it's over and a new year is beginning?

We had a quiet night here at home for New Year's Eve.

We watched a movie that I'd heard a lot about

and it was very good. We listened to the wind

howling fiercely outside and was glad we were

inside all cozy and warm.

I don't make resolutions because I rarely ever

keep them. I do make a list of goals I'd

like to attain. Last year, some goals were met

and others were not even close to being reached.

Thinking of the goals still needing to be met,

I'll just dust off my old list this new year

and hope to attain them by the end of the year.

What about you...do you have a list of resolutions

or have goals you hope to reach this year?

My number one goal is to adopt a healthier lifestyle

and that for me means using the treadmill regularly,

eating less sugar and fatty foods, and drinking

more water. You'd think that would be easy, right?

Well, for a Pepsi-holic and a lover of all things

chocolate, it's really not as easy as it sounds!

I'm determined to try the best I can to be in better

shape by the year's end. I can do it!! I hope.

I wish each of you the very best year ahead.

My thanks to each of you for your

comments and friendship during the past year.

I look forward to visiting and blogging

with you this New Year!

Until next time...

Making Friends

2011-12-30T01:42:00.000-06:00

Stormy being brave and trying to get her bluff in on Marley.

Our son and his puppy, Marley, were here several days during Christmas.

Our family had a great time. We played a lot of games, ate, visited, and watched Marley and our kitty, Stormy,

whenever they got close to each other.

We were hoping they would get along and become friends.

Stormy had to stay downstairs the first

two days, mostly because she would hiss and want

to strike at Marley with her claws showing.

Finally, she decided she had enough of being alone

most of the time and ventured upstairs.

Help Mom, lock that dog up!!

The minute Marley made a move to walk closer to Stormy,

she hightailed it down the hall with Marley in hot pursuit.

We then decided it might be wise to put

Marley in the kennel for a while.

That's much better, thanks!

Stormy thought that was an excellent idea, too. She

was very relaxed by now and started pulling herself along

inch by inch toward the kennel. They stared at each other

for quite some time and almost touched noses.

After a while, we decided to try again

with Marley out of the kennel.

Let's try getting along again outside the kennel, okay?

Well, peace reigned for all of 5 minutes, then it was a game of

cat and ~~mouse~~ puppy again. They were back to chasing and

stalking each other.

Don't get too close, Marley!

Watch out!

Friends from a distance is good.

Until next time...

The last Barn Charm for this year!

2011-12-27T15:56:00.000-06:00

I'm a little late to the party today, but here

is my offering for this week's barn charm.

The front of the same barn, all decked out with

a wreath for Christmas. I did a Christmas barn for

last week's Barn Charm, but I didn't realize

the link didn't work until too late. It can be found

a couple of posts below.

Linking to Tricia's Barn Charm

Until next time...

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T02:01:00.000-06:00

"May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace,
The gladness of Christmas give you hope,
The warmth of Christmas grant you love."
~Author Unknown~

Merry Christmas from my house to yours!
I'll return to blogging next week.

Until next time...

A Christmas Barn Charm

2011-12-19T23:24:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd just dress up my Barn Charm offering

this week since it's so close to Christmas.

I chose this rather plain red barn which

is another one of what I call my Hwy 5 barns.

Linking to Tricia's Barn Charm

Christmas at my house

2011-12-16T13:09:00.013-06:00

"I wonder when she's going to put presents
under the tree and if there's any for me?"

A blogger told about using
a strainer to cover the lens to get the
starry effect. Thanks, Vee!

I love to decorate with things that
we have had a long time.

The Santa sitting on the floor is made from

a post. The Nativity was made by my hubby.

The arrangement on the coffee table was given

to me a few years ago by my daughter.

Did you go sledding as a child on one of these?

I remember taking sleds to the one room

country school as a child. We would

go sledding at recess and during the lunch

hour. It seems like we had more snow then

than we do now. I don't remember my kids

sledding all that much.

Santa is everywhere in my house. Here he's

hanging in front of the old oak-front cabinet

guarding my collection of antique dishes.

The old Hoosier cabinet in the kitchen gets

a bit of Christmas decor. Last year, I had

some snowmen sitting where the cookbooks are.

This year, I was too lazy to put the books away.

Did you, unlike me, get everything decorated

according to plan this year?

Another item from years past, cut out

by hubby and painted by me. It just

wouldn't be Christmas without bringing

out our old handmade pieces. I wonder if

the kids will someday consider them

heirlooms? Ha!

Here's yet another item I painted in acrylics.

It was a lot of fun to do years ago, but these things

aren't the style anymore. It's still my style, I

prefer the cozy, country look.

It's been a busy week and will get busier yet.

I hope you're further along with the Christmas preparations

than I am! Now, it's time for me to get busy

on that bundle of cedar outside that is waiting for me

to do something with, we finally have a pretty

day with sunshine!

Thanks to all for your nice comments on

Tuesday's Barn Charm post - although I

think it posted on Monday by mistake.

I'll see you next week. Have a wonderful

weekend!

Until next time...

Local charmer

2011-12-12T23:55:00.000-06:00

This old barn has served this farm well for a very long time. It's been kept painted and the roof as well as all the other buildings, including the house, on the place are painted red. I wish I could have gotten a shot of the whole place, but actually the best feature of the farm is the barn. The farm is on a highway that I frequently travel around 10 miles or so from my house. I've always admired the red-roofed buildings and it was once quite a nice place.

Linking to Tricia's Barn Charm

Until next time...

An early gift

2011-12-12T11:52:00.000-06:00

Sunset photo taken a week or so ago from my front yard.

It's less than 2 weeks until Christmas! Are you ready? I'm getting there slowly but surely. Our bathroom remodel has been postponed until after Christmas. We have stripped off the old wallpaper and hope to get a bit of painting done yet, but the major portion of the work will wait and I'm really glad that I won't have to worry about not having it available to use around the holidays.

Hubby and I got our Christmas gift for each other yesterday. While our son was visiting this weekend and could help put it together, we bought a new treadmill. Our old treadmill wasn't working properly and we hadn't used it in a year or so - and it shows! The new one is very nice and now I just need to get myself motivated to use it every day. My left knee has been hurting quite a bit lately and I've not wanted to injure it further by walking on uneven ground, so I'm hoping the treadmill will be a good thing.

Stormy survived the visit by Marley but we discovered something over the weekend about her. She seems to only turn into a tiger (see photo above) around humans, she turns her fluffed-out tail and runs when confronted by a dog! (and the vacuum)

Until next time...

My Friday

2011-12-09T21:46:00.000-06:00

I'd like you to meet my grand-furbaby, Marley. Marley stayed with me today (Friday) while my son was working in St. Louis. They spent last night with us and will be here for part of the weekend. Marley is not quite a year old and as you can see in the photo she likes to chew and tear up her new toys.

She was quite good really, but someone wasn't at all happy with this alien creature in her house. Someone being Stormy - the reigning queen kitty. The back arched, the fur stood up and the tail resembled that of a squirrel. She hissed, bared her teeth and hissed some more. Then tucked her tail and hightailed it downstairs to the family room. Where she pretty much hid all day. The last I saw of her, the expression on her little furry face said that she was insulted that we gave so much attention to this strange creature in her house.

Isn't she sweet? Little Marley was oblivious to poor Stormy's discomfort today. I don't see a harmonious relationship in the near future, so there goes the photos I hoped to take of the pair under the Christmas tree this year.

So, that was my Friday. Furbaby-sitting a puppy and placating a very unhappy fuzzy-faced kitty. At this hour, all is well with the puppy upstairs and the kitty downstairs. The Christmas tree is still standing and all the Christmas decor is where it's supposed to be.

I looked out the window and noticed the full moon.

It looks like clouds are moving in.

I was right.

Have a happy weekend!

Until next time...

The color of Christmas

2011-12-08T00:19:00.000-06:00

My tree was put up over the weekend and decorated. I'll try to get a full shot when I've gotten a few gifts wrapped. That is the next ~~chore~~ item on the agenda...to get the shopping done. Back to the tree....I always buy a new ornament or two every year and have many from years past that are fun to unwrap and put on the tree along with red ball ornaments. Clear lights go on first. It seems like red and white are the predominate colors, besides the green tree itself. I have my Santa and Snowmen collections put out and most of the decorating of the house done. At least inside!

The color scheme at the Landing in Branson is blue.

Above are more blue lights at the Landing and clear lights that are always on by the water show. They've had the blue lights the last several years. I'd like to see something different, but they didn't ask me! LOL! I love blue, but I'd like to see them use some other colors.

What colors do you decorate with? Do you prefer colored lights or clear? Do you have your tree up yet? It's only 17 days until Christmas!! How can that be?

Until next time....

A black and white charmer

2011-12-06T00:15:00.000-06:00

This black and white barn is another one of the several barns that I took photos of on Hwy 5 during a day trip this fall.

It really looks to be a well built barn and the small windows are interesting. I'd love to see the inside of this one.

Linking to Tricia's Barn Charm

Until next time...

I love this place

2011-12-05T00:03:00.002-06:00

We went to Branson for the Thanksgiving holiday and one of our very favorite places to visit there is Silver Dollar City. For those of you who haven't heard of SDC, it is an old time theme park featuring attractions and rides, shows, restaurants and craft shops with demonstrating craftsmen. At Christmas, the park is decked out in over 4 million lights and is considered one of the country's most popular and best decorated tourist destinations at Christmas. Here is a bit of a blurry photo of the walkway from the parking lots to the entrance, I wanted you to see how pretty the entrance is.

After you enter the park, you're on Main Street and greeted by this huge tree that turns colors and different patterns in time to the music. We love hearing "Carol of the Bells."

Another shot of the tree and area.

Before walking too far, we stopped at the old cabin, McHaffies Homestead, where the Homestead Pickers were playing and telling stories. I love their music and humor.

Leaving the McHaffie Homestead, we headed on down Hugo's Hill. All the shops are covered in lights and it is just beautiful. The park covers several acres and this is just one small section of it.

We stopped at the train station and took a train ride which stops at Grandpa's place to hear him tell the Christmas story. To see a better photo of the train at the station, go here.

Here's Grandpa...I think he's looking right at my camera! On the hillside behind him are the Three Wise Men, the Manger Scene, the Star of Bethlehem, etc, that are lit up during Grandpa's telling of the Christmas story.

This is a small sampling of what you will see around the park. The blue tree was gorgeous with lights that simulated snow falling. The building in the lower right corner houses the Fudge/Candy Shop and is filled with the most delicious looking treats. They have candy making demonstrations there, too. I couldn't walk away without a small box of divinity and some fudge!

I love this place at Christmas, spring and fall are great times to go, too. Summer time is wonderful, if you're young and don't mind the heat! Missouri summers are very hot and humid and these ole legs wear out from walking up and down the hills here. I'd rather have chillier temps in the winter time! Speaking of being chilly, the second night we went to SDC, we had chili in a bread bowl and ate it by a fireplace. We then had their famous apple dumplings with cinnamon ice cream a little later on for dessert. There is so much delicious food for sale all around the park at various concession stands as well as the restaurants and the smells are very tantalizing.

So there you have it, my 2011 SDC Old Time Christmas experience. We've been going there the last several years and as long as my knees hold out, I hope to keep going. I hope you get to go someday if you haven't already. It's really a beautiful experience!

Until next time...

It's December!

2011-12-02T00:27:00.000-06:00

Can you see the geese formations flying high in the clouds? There were many, many more behind this group. They were headed the same direction as we were on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Yes, as a few of you guessed, we went to Branson.

We met our son here at Ozark for a late lunch before going on to Branson. The home of the throwed rolls and yummy food! People were carrying out dozens of rolls for their Thanksgiving meal that were for sale at the check out line.

Guess who was one of those carrying out yummy rolls to go along with the turkey to be picked up at a local supermarket? I prepared the rest of the food at the condo. Ever fixed mashed potatoes without a masher? Forgot to take one with me. A fork and lots of elbow grease saved the day.

We awoke to a beautiful morning. The mists around the lake were so pretty. The lake looks further away than it actually is in this photo.

It's December! Santa and roses just don't usually go together in December in Missouri, but they are still blooming in Branson and in my yard as well.

I hope everything is rosy at your house! We're motoring along on our part of the bathroom prep before the carpenter begins to do the really hard work. Hopefully we'll be putting up the Christmas tree this weekend. Hubby and I moved some plywood out of the middle of the living room floor and even though I still have some boxes stacked in a corner....we will have Christmas!!

I'm still slow about getting around to commenting at everyone's blog. I've been really busy and Stormy has rarely left my side since we've gotten home. Here she is sleeping with her head on my laptop. It's not easy to blog with kitty on the keys! Hope to catch up with everyone soon. Have a great day and a good weekend!

Photos of our favorite destination in Branson coming next week.

Until next time...

Home again

2011-11-29T20:35:00.000-06:00

We got back from our Thanksgiving trip last night. We left last Wednesday for our destination, and our daughter and son were there with us and enjoyed a nice mini-vacation from work. We had a wonderful and relaxing time before the busyness begins on our bathroom remodel and Christmas preparations. Bathroom remodel this time of year...what was I thinking???

Some folks have their Christmas trees up already, but I have a living room full of boxes of tile, a new stool, counter top, fixtures and various other stuff awaiting the carpenter to begin. We have a few things of our own to get done this week before he starts, too. Yikes! I think I'll go back!!

I've spent today unpacking and washing our trip clothes and just hanging out with Stormy. She missed us and was wanting to be close and cuddly today...not her usual style...she hadn't been without at least one of us for five nights before. We missed her, too! We had a friend come in and check on her mornings and evenings so we knew she was okay.

I'll be posting more later about where we went and one of our favorite places that we visited. The 1929 Durant in the photo above was seen at this place. Isn't it a beauty?

If I'm a little scarce here this week, it's because of the work that needs to get done. Things like stripping off wallpaper, taking off the old tile, painting the wall above where the bead board will go and painting the bead board itself. Wish me luck!

Until next time...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-21T00:05:00.002-06:00

" Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his love endures forever."

Psalm 107:1

Thank you to my blogging friends for your wonderful posts and photos that I enjoy so much, for your nice comments here at my blog and for your friendship.

I am going to take a blogging break, at least from posting and commenting, but I'll try to get some reading (of blogs) done. I'll see you after the holiday weekend. I hope each of you has the most wonderful Thanksgiving ever!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Until next time...

A decorating dilemma

2011-11-18T01:47:00.000-06:00

Internet Photo

A new window treatment is in order for my living room. The window in this photo isn't a very good representation of my window but since I don't want to take a photo that shows my grody sheers that have been torn by kitty claws, we'll have to use our imaginations a bit. Picture if you will a larger window, 10 1/2 feet wide by 72 inches tall. There are 9 separate panes on the order of those in the photo only mine are wider in a rectangle shape. I need something for privacy yet let light in. Most blinds I've looked at have been eliminated for one reason or another (the furball). Mostly because I can't hang them inside the frame or casing, it would have to be an outside mount.

If the window didn't face a busy street, this wouldn't be such a problem. I'd love to have just sheers. Have you looked at window treatments lately? There are so many different colors and styles, it's mind-boggling! If you have a suggestion for this type of window, I'm all ears!

Bathroom update: Well, we haven't really started on this project yet. After all, deer hunting is still going on and the carpenter is big into that. :D Then Thanksgiving is coming up, so it'll be after that. But! We have the tile and new counter top, etc, purchased and awaiting installation.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Until next time...

An Interview

2011-11-16T00:40:00.002-06:00

This is a very moving video. It you haven't

seen it yet, just click below.

The Interview

This old barn...

2011-11-15T00:05:00.008-06:00

This old barn still has some usefulness. The advertisement for Meramec Caverns is worn but the Caverns are still a tourist attraction along Route 66 near Stanton, Missouri. This barn isn't near there, but is seen on Hwy 5 not far from Versailles. Have you ever been in a cave? I've been in Bridal Cave at Camdenton, and Marvel Cave at Branson. They are both impressive caves, if you like being underground. As for me, I'm getting more claustrophobic as the years roll by so I'll not be visiting caves again.

Linking to Tricia's
Barn Charm

Until next time...

A Funny Deer Tale

2011-11-14T00:05:00.001-06:00

(Warning: This is a bit long, so if you don't want to or have the time to read all of this, I understand!)

Roping a deer - Read this before you go deer roping.

Actual letter from someone who farms, writes well and tried this:

I had this idea that I could rope a deer, put it in a stall, feed it up on corn for a couple of weeks, then kill it and eat it. The first step in this adventure was getting a deer. I figured that, since they congregate at my cattle feeder and do not seem to have much fear of me when we are there (a bold one will sometimes come right up and sniff at the bags of feed while I am in the back of the truck not 4 feet away), it should not be difficult to rope one, get up to it and toss a bag over its head (to calm it down) then hog tie it and transport it home.

I filled the cattle feeder then hid down at the end with my rope. The cattle, having seen the roping thing before, stayed well back. They were not having any of it. After about 20 minutes, my deer showed up-- 3 of them. I picked out a likely looking one, stepped out from the end of the feeder, and threw my rope. The deer just stood there and stared at me. I wrapped the rope around my waist and twisted the end so I would have a good hold.

The deer still just stood and stared at me, but you could tell it was mildly concerned about the whole rope situation. I took a step towards it, it took a step away. I put a little tension on the rope .., and then received an education. The first thing that I learned is that, while a deer may just stand there looking at you funny while you rope it, they are spurred to action when you start pulling on that rope.

That deer EXPLODED. The second thing I learned is that pound for pound, a deer is a LOT stronger than a cow or a colt. A cow or a colt in that weight range I could fight down with a rope and with some dignity. A deer-- no chance. That thing ran and bucked and twisted and pulled. There was no controlling it and certainly no getting close to it. As it jerked me off my feet and started dragging me across the ground, it occurred to me that having a deer on a rope was not nearly as good an idea as I had originally imagined. The only upside is that they do not have as much stamina as many other animals.

A brief 10 minutes later, it was tired and not nearly as quick to jerk me off my feet and drag me when I managed to get up. It took me a few minutes to realize this, since I was mostly blinded by the blood flowing out of the big gash in my head. At that point, I had lost my taste for corn-fed venison, I just wanted to get that devil creature off the end of that rope.

I figured if I just let it go with the rope hanging around its neck, it would likely die slow and painfully somewhere. At the time, there was no love at all between me and that deer, at that moment, I hated the thing, and I would venture a guess that the feeling was mutual. Despite the gash in my head and the several large knots where I had cleverly arrested the deer's momentum by bracing my head against various large rocks as it dragged me across the ground, I could still think clearly enough to recognize that there was a small chance that I shared some tiny amount of responsibility for the situation we were in. I didn't want the deer to have to suffer a slow death, so I managed to get it lined back up in between my truck and the feeder - a little trap I had set beforehand...kind of like a squeeze chute. I got it to back in there and I started moving up so I could get my rope back.

Did you know that deer bite?

They do! I never in a million years would have thought that a deer would bite somebody, so I was very surprised when ... I reached up there to grab that rope and the deer grabbed hold of my wrist. Now, when a deer bites you, it is not like being bit by a horse where they just bite you and then let go. A deer bites you and shakes its head--almost like a pit bull. They bite HARD and it hurts. The proper thing to do when a deer bites you is probably to freeze and draw back slowly. I tried screaming and shaking instead. My method was ineffective.

It seems like the deer was biting and shaking for several minutes, but it was likely only several seconds. I, being smarter than a deer (though you may be questioning that claim by now), tricked it. While I kept it busy tearing the tendons out of my right arm, I reached up with my left hand and pulled that rope loose.

That was when I got my final lesson in deer behavior for the day.

Deer will strike at you with their front feet. They rear right up on their back feet and strike right about head and shoulder level, and their hooves are surprisingly sharp. I learned a long time ago that, when an animal--like a horse--strikes at you with their hooves and you can't get away easily, the best thing to do is try to make a loud noise and make an aggressive move towards the animal. This will usually cause them to back down a bit so you can escape. This was not a horse. This was a deer, so obviously, such trickery would not work. In the course of a millisecond, I devised a different strategy. I screamed like a woman and tried to turn and run. The reason I had always been told NOT to try to turn and run from a horse that paws at you is that there is a good chance that it will hit you in the back of the head. Deer may not be so different from horses after all, besides being twice as strong and 3 times as evil, because the second I turned to run, it hit me right in the back of the head and knocked me down.

Now, when a deer paws at you and knocks you down, it does not immediately leave. I suspect it does not recognize that the danger has passed. What they do instead is paw your back and jump up and down on you while you are laying there crying like a little girl and covering your head.

I finally managed to crawl under the truck and the deer went away. So now I know why when people go deer hunting they bring a rifle with a scope to sort of even the odds.

All these events are true so help me God.

An Educated Rancher

Deer Image by The Graphics Fairy

Remembering our Veterans on 11-11-11

2011-11-11T06:03:00.000-06:00

Freedom isn't free and today we remember

our military veterans and the sacrifices they have made.

Thank you for your service to our country!

"This nation will remain the land of the free only

so long as it is the home of the brave."

~Elmer Davis

An oldie but goodie

2011-11-09T01:32:00.000-06:00

I love old barns and old buildings.

This old, abandoned grain elevator near the Missouri River

caught my eye a couple of weeks ago and we

pulled off the main highway to go down a

gravel road so I could get a closer look.

This old beauty sits along side what was once a railroad

track and is now a hiking and biking trail called the Katy Trail.

Here's a closer shot from a different angle. I wish I

could tell you how long this structure has been standing

and when it was built, but I don't know. I do know

that it survived the Flood of 1993. However, it didn't

survive the spray painting of Chad and his friends.

I wonder what kind of tile this is?

Let's take a closer look.

Anyone know?

Until next time...

Lady in Red

2011-11-08T00:24:00.000-06:00

I stopped and snapped this red barn on the

way to the Dutch Bakery Saturday. Is that a quilt

block I see high above the doors? We do have

quite a few "quilt barns" in this area.

This is a newer barn but I think it's charming

all decked out in red and a bit of white.

Linking to Tricia's

Barn Charm

Until next time...

Saturday's day trip

2011-11-07T00:36:00.000-06:00

My daughter and I took a little trip to the Dutch Bakery in Tipton, MO Saturday. It was a fun afternoon drive. We actually went about 15 miles past Tipton to Lehman's at Versailles for lunch. Lehman's is a Mennonite cafe with food that is simple but freshly made and is Oh. So. Good. They also have fresh homemade bread, cinnamon bread, pies, cookies and other treats for sale. I left with a loaf of regular bread and a loaf of cinnamon bread. We headed back to Tipton and to the Dutch Bakery where I bought more goodies.

I couldn't turn down the yummy Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls or the iced Cinnamon Rolls or another loaf of bread! The other loaves seen in the photo are from Lehman's. I also bought a bag of oats, a jar of Green Tomato Relish, and some chicken base that I use in my chicken noodle soups and turkey gravy, some cheese and German bologna for sandwiches. Because I was reasonably certain that after eating a big lunch, I wouldn't be cooking dinner and it would be a sandwich night! I also bought a Dutch letter which is an almond paste filled pastry shaped in the letters L, O, V, E, S that they sell. I'd never tried them before and they were very good. You're probably wondering how we could possibly eat all this? I will freeze some of these and hope they taste just as fresh later.

Finally, I bought a bottle of V&V, an all natural herbal supplement. While wheeling down the aisles, I spotted a woman about my age looking at a brochure and, nosy person that I am, stopped to see what was so interesting. We started chatting and both of us admitted that we could both use a little vim and vigor at our age, and we both decided that the 14 herbs and spices in a bottle of vinegar were pretty harmless sounding and decided to each buy a bottle and give it a try! After all the sweets I had just loaded in my cart, the fact that the brochure says, besides all the health benefits you get from drinking V&V, that you might lose weight was the clencher! I'll let you know if it works.

We felt a little jolt here in mid-Missouri from the earthquake in Oklahoma Saturday night. Anyone else here in MO or neighboring states feel it?

Until next time...

In three weeks

2011-11-04T02:11:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is only three weeks away! Are you looking forward to the holiday? It is my second favorite holiday, Christmas being at the top of the list. When I was young, we always went to my maternal grandmother's house for dinner. She was an excellent cook and a lot of the food she fixed came from her garden. Later, when Grandmother couldn't do the cooking, I usually had the meal at my house as well as the Christmas dinner. I've never felt like my food tasted nearly as good as hers did. For one thing, I've always had trouble with getting the gravy to come out right. I can make excellent gravy most of the time, but turkey gravy is another story. Another dish that won't win any awards either is my dressing. I don't stuff the turkey, so we call the dish dressing instead of stuffing and my dressing comes in a box! Almost everything else turns out just fine.

Do you do the cooking for the holidays? What is your least favorite food to fix? Your best food? My favorite would be the turkey. I've always had success with turkey even though I'll often wake up in the middle of the night dreaming about meal time arriving and I've not thawed out the turkey!

Until next time...

A question

2011-11-03T02:58:00.000-05:00

Photo from the internet

This is not my bathroom, but we are planning to put beadboard on the walls much like this. I also have a divider similar to this one between the vanity and the stool. Our room is wider, but the tub with shower is on the right of the window much like this one shows.

My question is about tile. We plan on having ceramic tile put on the floor and I would like to also have ceramic tile on the wall around the tub. I don't want the little 4X4 tiles, but the larger ones. Some of the guys at the large stores like Lowes tell me that you can put the same tile on the wall as you put on the floor. I am wondering if any of you have done this? I'd like your input as to how you like it, if you have. Or if you have done something different that works great for you, let me know what that might be. All ideas are appreciated! We need to get our stuff in the next week, we've been a bit slow in deciding on this part of the remodel. I'm also wondering how well the tile will look with the beadboard next to it. Oh, decision, decisions! I think I know what I want, but I still welcome your input. Thanks!

Until next time...

It's November!

2011-11-01T00:43:00.002-05:00

The first day of November. I always think of my oldest brother, Bill, on this day, it was his birthday. He passed away 19 years ago at the age of 49. I fully intended to talk about something else in this post, but I think I'll tell a little story about him.

My older brother was one of a kind who was hard working but also loved to have fun. His wit got me into trouble more than once during my youth. He not only had a wonderful sense of humor but used facial expressions that could speak volumes and he could dead-pan with the best of them.

I remember one time that got me into such trouble was when Cousin P came one day to visit from Colorado. He was a very, very large man. We had just sat down to eat, which was called dinner on the farm because the noon meal was the largest. My mother was an excellent cook and served several side dishes along with the usual meat, potatoes, and salad. Cousin P took a huge helping of everything when each bowl or platter was passed to him. So, of course, his plate was piled high...very high...by the time everything was passed around.

I just happened to be sitting across from my older brother who was sitting on the same side of the table with Cousin P. Of course, I just happened to be watching my brother's facial expressions every time Cousin P started piling food on his plate. He had that sneaky way of quickly making a funny face then relaxing into that innocent "I didn't do anything" look and no one at the table saw him, but me. Which was what he intended, of course. The grownups were busy talking and didn't pay any attention to us. Well, I kept looking each time a dish was passed to Cousin P for that raised eyebrow look of horror on my brother's face when Cousin started spooning food on his plate. The looks on Bill's face was so comical that I started giggling and tried to pass it off as something I was thinking about, but soon I had the red face and giggles so bad, I had to excuse myself from the table. I ran into the next room dissolving into peals of laughter that I'm sure everyone heard at the table. When the meal was over, and Cousin P and my dad had gone into the living room to visit, I crept back into the kitchen to see if there was anything left to eat since I didn't finish my plate. My mother gave me "the Look" and said under her breath, so no one else could hear, that she would talk to me about my behavior later. I knew what that meant! That was just one of many times where I got the giggles at an inopportune time when I was supposed to be quiet and behaving myself. Thanks to my older brother. He was quite a guy and I still miss him.

Linking to Barn Charm at

http://bluffareadaily.blogspot.com/

Until next time...

Falling leaves

2011-10-31T00:03:00.002-05:00

Our leaves are really falling now. There's not much color left.

This maple in our yard still has several leaves. But

the ground below looks to be covered in gold.

These are our neighbor's trees north of our house. They

are the hard maples that have beautiful reddish leaves

that fall quickly. At the very top, I see what looks

like squirrel's nests. They are rather large for birds.

I'll be keeping a closer eye on the nests to see if I

can spot a squirrel coming or going.

Here's one of the little scamps now. I see them in

our yard nearly every day. It's hard to get a

clear shot because they are never still!

They've been doing a lot of this. Burying their food

for the winter, I presume. I've seen one carrying

what looks like a walnut although the walnut trees

aren't very close to the house.

October is nearly over. Halloween will be a fun night

for many tonight. May each of you have a fun

night if you have plans and a great week ahead!

Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals!!!!

Until next time...

Great game

2011-10-28T01:06:00.000-05:00

Internet image

What a game! The St. Louis Cardinals won 10-9 in 11 innings! Game 7 will be played against the Texas Rangers tomorrow night at 6:30 in St. Louis. It was one of those kinds of games that I started watching, then couldn't watch for a while, then went back to watch. I was thinking at one point that it was all over for them, but they pulled through! Very exciting to see. I'm hoping they can win the Series, but the Rangers have played very well, too. So, may the best team win!! Go Cards!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for all your well wishes. I do feel a bit better and the coughing seems to have slacked off a bit today. We have finally gotten the carpenter who is remodeling our bathroom to set a date. He'll start after deer season. I'm hoping it will be done by Christmas. And what does a bathroom remodel have to do with coughing? I think it might partly be the mold. We have uncovered quite a bit of mold growing behind the stuff around our tub/shower. It may not be the culprit, but it can't be helping either. So, very soon that job will be done. I'll be a happy camper.

Until next time...

Thursday's this and that

2011-10-27T00:16:00.000-05:00

                              Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn.
               ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

This photo doesn't have one thing to do with what I'm going to say next. Just thought I'd show you what I was gazing at evening before last as I was pondering a few things. Such as:

What do you do when you run out of blogging ideas? Well, I've not exactly run out of ideas yet, there's still a few floating around in my cough-addled brain. I'm just curious where you find new ideas.

Yes, I'm still battling the cold/virus from you-know-where. So, okay, I should have asked this question way before now. But better late than never they say. What do you take for a bad cold? Do you have a tried-and-true home remedy? I am better, but the cough with a few headaches doesn't want to go away.

In order to keep this post short...just one more thing. I read recently where shorter posts are best. Do you agree?

Maybe two things...I also want to say that I've had a few problems lately with publishing comments. It's very frustrating to write a comment and then hit publish only to find see 'Error Has Occurred' and know your comment has disappeared! That makes me give up. Anyone else having this problem again?

And, last but not least. even though it doesn't look too promising,
Go Cardinals!!

Until next time...

A Barn Charm

2011-10-24T22:50:00.000-05:00

This old red barn is on the same property as the old house I showed in a few posts ago titled "Again" that was a rerun of a post I did last year about the strange happenings in our house. This photo was taken in September of last year. I thought it interesting that the owners have painted the old barn, but are letting that once fabulous old house run down. Do you see the tower in the background behind the red barn? They are an increasingly familiar sight in the country these days....sigh! I think this old red barn is charming even with a tower behind it. I love old barns and especially red ones!!

I'm linking to Tricia's Bluff Area Daily, she hosts Barn Charm every Tuesday. Be sure to check out the many interesting barns there!

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Also. I'd like to mention a giveaway taking place at Camp and Cottage Living. Kimberly is celebrating 100 followers with a very nice giveaway. Be sure to visit, if you haven't been there before now.

Until next time...

The Toy

2011-10-24T00:03:00.000-05:00

Last week I happened to mention that my last 3 cars were the same make and model. Several who commented asked what kind of car it is that I'm so fond of. So since it's Monday and I didn't do anything exciting to blog about over the weekend, I thought I'd share my favorite car with you.

I took the liberty of finding photos of these 3 cars on the internet. They look exactly like the 3 we've owned. We still have 2 of these 3 cars, but they were a bit too dirty to take photos of. I'll tell you the make of the cars at the end of this post, in case you haven't caught the hint or figure it out. I'm sure some of you may have the very same car. It's very popular!

This 1995 car was the first of this make I would drive.

She lasted a very long time and I loved her!

Next in line was this 2001 car.

She still is going strong after almost being

totaled by a deer that ran in front of me

once when I was driving home from work.

However, she has a lot of miles on her and

we'll probably put a For Sale sign on her soon.

This 2010 is the current car I drive, and

you may have guessed...it's a To~yota C~amry.

There they are, my Toys! By the way, this not an ad nor does To~yota know I'm showing their vehicles. But I love this car, it has been the most reliable make we've ever had. As far as the color, I've always been fond of white cars. On the practical side, I think they're easier to see at night and I feel like they don't show dirt as much as other colors do.

So, any other Toy lovers out there? Do you have a favorite vehicle you buy again and again?

Maybe another time we can talk about something really interesting, like favorite ice cream. Pistachio, anyone? :D

Until next time...

A lovely surprise

2011-10-21T01:19:00.000-05:00

I got a wonderful surprise this week when I learned that I'd been awarded the "One Lovely Blog Award" by my blogging friend, Diana. If you haven't visited Diana before at These Days of Mine, please do so today! There you will find great writing and beautiful photos and get to meet her sweet kitty, Sundae. Thank you so much, Diana, for this award and for your visits and comments here at TFD!!

Now I'm to tell 7 things about myself that you don't already know:

1. I'm very nearsighted.

2. My house burned down when I was 9 years old.

3. The thought of public speaking scares me.

4. I've worked in a flower shop.

5. I owned a craft shop several years ago where I rented booths and sold my own crafts, mainly dried and silk florals.

6. My last 3 cars have been the same make and color.

7. I think I'm probably boring...see number 6 above!

Wow! I've had a long list of things I told about myself in a previous post, so I really was thinking hard for this list! Another thing I'm supposed to do in accepting this award besides listing the 7 things you don't know about me, is to nominate 15 other bloggers for this award. I will have to bend the rules a little on this one. All of the many blogs I read are lovely and there just isn't any way I can narrow it down to a few. So please, any of you who are my blogging friends would like this award, feel free to snag it for yourself! And may I say to each of you that I appreciate all the hard work you put into writing your blog and I love to see all of the beautiful photos you've taken and shown on your blog!! Also, thanks to each of you who stop by this blog and leave a comment. You're appreciated more than you know! Have a wonderful weekend!!

Until next time...

I love fall

2011-10-19T01:01:00.000-05:00

Fall, or you may call it autumn, is a favorite season for many of us. It is definitely my favorite season, followed closely by spring. There are a few things I'd like to ask my blog friends about this wonderful season we've been enjoying for a few weeks in order to get to know you better. Here is a short list of questions and I'll answer them myself and hope you will, too!

1. What is your favorite fall color?

Red.

2. Besides the usual pumpkins and mums, what favorite fall things do you use every year in your fall decor?

I have a barrel head I painted years ago that I bring out of

storage and hang on the wall. Also, I have some fall pieces I bought

at Hobby Lobby that I use in my fall decor every year. I also use some faux fall leaves and berries in various arrangements.

3. In a little over 2 weeks, most of the US will turn back their clocks one hour. If you could, would you leave it as it is or will you be glad to turn back time?

I really wish they would leave it one way or the other. But I admit daylight savings has its advantages.

4. What is your favorite fall or cool weather food to fix that you don't usually cook in the summer?

Chili

5. Do you have a favorite scent that makes you think of fall or maybe a favorite candle you like to burn during fall?

I think fall has a special scent all it's own. But the scent of pumpkin pie is really nice, too!

6. If you participated in Halloween as a child, what was your favorite costume?

I'll have to pass on this one, I only got to go trick or treating one time and only wore one of those dime store masks. Growing up on a farm way back when, we didn't get an opportunity for trick or treating. But we had a lot of fun in other ways. I belonged to a 4-H Club and we would have hay rides and weiner roasts in the fall, so we still had fun!

7. What do you love most about the fall season?

I love the color of the trees as they are changing, the smells, and the cooler weather after a long, hot summer.

We've had beautiful weather so far this fall in my area. It has cooled off quite a bit. In fact, I turned on the furnace yesterday. The leaves are falling and I know winter isn't far off. Wait! That makes me think of a favorite song! The autumn leaves, drift by my window.....

Until next time...

Again...

2011-10-17T02:12:00.000-05:00

Since I've been under the weather off and on since last Tuesday and my brain still isn't firing on all cylinders with all the coughing that has shaken things up, I'm going to repeat a post that I used last year in October. I have several new readers who may not have seen that post.

I did take time to play with a different photo of the old vacant (haunted?) house that I took last year and used water painting to give it a bit of a different look. The following is a true story about strange happenings in our home that I posted about last year:

Since Halloween is right around the corner and even tho I'm really not all that into Halloween, I still thought this might be a good time to share the story of some unexplained happenings here in my own house. This may turn out to be rather long. Hope you stick with me and let me know what you think!   I saved the strangest story for the end.

In recent years, we've been experiencing some strange sounds and happenings. One night while I was at work and my daughter and husband were downstairs....she was at her computer desk and he was watching television. They both heard what sounded like someone stepping down off of a chair, then scooted the chair across the upstairs bathroom floor. Then after that they heard a door shut. Both of them ran up the stairs to see what was going on, but saw nothing out of place.
Another time, while they were downstairs, they heard what sounded like someone walking down the hall. Thinking I might have gotten home early, they came up the stairs to see me...but it wasn't me! I was still at work.

Yet another time, my daughter was sitting in her computer chair at the desk and a cool breeze went by behind her and she caught a whiff of a floral perfume.

Both my children have heard music in the house, when there wasn't a tv on or music playing. My son even walked around the house trying to determine where it was coming from....didn't find anything. The neighbors were quiet, so it wasn't them...and their houses aren't real close to ours.

I've heard loud sounds in the bedroom. Sometimes it sounds like a chain or something is sliding down the wall. That is about the only way I know to describe it.

One night there was a loud crash, and the cat took off running. Another time, she got spooked and her fur stood on end with her tail getting big. There was nothing to be seen.

I think the strangest happening of all is the day I was getting ready for work. I had showered and had opened my bottle of foundation preparing to put on my makeup. Nature was calling, so I sat down the bottle of foundation and went around the corner...there is a half wall between the vanity and toilet...when I finished and went back to the sink to wash my hands, I noticed that there were drops of makeup on the floor.   Looking closer, I noticed that these drops were about the size of a nickel and were almost perfectly spaced in a row leading back to the wall between two closet doors opposite the vanity. I had a plant stand with a plant next to the wall between the two doors...our bathroom is rather large...and there were some drops on the leaves, too. Well, I had to go to work so in my haste I cleaned up the mess and finished getting ready and didn't think to take photos.   I was certainly very puzzled as to how that happened. But when I got home and told my family, I showed them the drops still on the plant and a few had ended up veering off in another direction on the floor that I had overlooked while cleaning up the mess, so they did believe me! I am wondering to this day how that happened. My hubby said I must have shaken the bottle. No, I didn't and even if I had I would have had to have thrown the stuff over my shoulder, because the drops were directly behind where I was standing. And how would they have ended up so perfectly matched in size and evenly spaced? I didn't count the drops, but there were quite a few! I can't think of an explanation for this. I didn't shake the bottle, the bottle was unopened and just where I left it.   Strange!!!

Okay, you probably think I've really lost it! But all of these things have really happened. I don't really believe in ghosts, but I have no explanation for any of the many strange sounds and happenings we've experienced.

How about you? Have any strange goings on in your house? If so, please share! I wish someone could tell me how my foundation ended up in perfect drops on the floor!! Very, very strange.....

I am feeling better than I did last week, but am having a hard time shaking this cough. I hope you have escaped the various bugs going around and have a good week!

One more thing...the strange happenings have really slacked off since I wrote about them last year!

Until next time...

A village on the Missouri River

2011-10-14T00:01:00.000-05:00

Arrow Rock Tavern and Huston Store

(water color editing used on this photo)

Not long ago, I was headed down I-70 and decided to take a detour down Hwy 71 to Arrow Rock, MO. Arrow Rock is a picturesque village of less than 100 residents situated on a bluff along the Missouri River.

This little village has been designated a National Historic Landmark recognizing the association with Westward Expansion, the Santa Fe Trail, and artist George Caleb Bingham. The town has a few restaurants, the Arrow Rock Tavern in the first photo serves country-style meals and has a ballroom upstairs. There are several bed and breakfasts in the village, and shops showcasing antiques, gifts, and old time crafts. But no gas station! I couldn't help but wonder how many people come into Arrow Rock hoping to be able to fill their gas tanks before leaving.

I'm not sure if this is a real bank or not! I played with this photo and used a water color effect. You probably have noticed that the sidewalk along the store fronts is really a boardwalk.

A one-man jail.

Arrow Rock is also home to the Lyceum Theatre,

Missouri's oldest regional professional theater.

Another look at the Lyceum Theatre. I wish I could say I've been to a play there, but that's on my bucket list.

This beautiful old house is seen just down the street from the boardwalk shops. I used the water color effect on this photo. Below is another shot of the house.

I'd love to see the inside of this beauty.

Arrow Rock has several things going on throughout the year to draw tourists, one of them being the 43rd Annual Heritage Craft Festival which was held this past weekend. This festival features old time crafts by artisans dressed in period costume. It is a fun event that we've been to several times in past years.

I had several other photos, but many of them have a spot that I discovered after taking several. You may have noticed one in the first photo. Turns out it was a smudge on my lens that was easily fixed, but time was running short and I didn't retake photos. Not that the town was that busy. I think there may have been 4 or 5 other cars seen. This small village has 45 full time and 33 part-time residents. There are also many interesting old homes to see in Arrow Rock and I enjoyed my little visit.

Until next time...

The weekend

2011-10-12T00:03:00.000-05:00

Last week I mentioned a possible little getaway. This past Saturday, we woke up to this nice sunrise (pretend you don't see the utility lines, okay?) and packed our bag for the weekend. We hopped into the car and away we went!

If you can see the number on the green highway sign or recognize the area, you will know where we were headed. Branson again! Yes, we love Branson. We were only there a short time, we didn't do a lot. We went to the Landing and had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. The drive itself was nice and we admired the scenery and the changes in color of the trees.

This beautiful golf resort is in Branson. Do you play golf? Hubby and I don't, but sometimes wish we did when we see these beautiful golf courses.

I didn't take many photos this trip. It was short and sweet. Just a little getaway and I didn't want to spend our few hours behind a camera. I always see something new each time we go to Branson, usually a little shop that I haven't been in. So I make a mental note to remember for future, longer visits. The weather was great and we enjoyed our little trip. I'm curious, do you like weekend trips or do you have to have more time?

Until next time...

A floral mosaic

2011-10-10T00:05:00.000-05:00

My Knockout roses are blooming their little hearts out now. Some of my other flowers are still looking pretty good. I've mostly let my pots go...frankly, I just got tired of watering. I really haven't watered these in the ground much lately, and as dry as it's been, I'm surprised they are doing so well. The Knockout you see in the mosaic is one I planted in the middle of summer. The colder weather with the killing frost is coming, I know. I am enjoying these every day that I have them. Hope your week ahead is a good one.

Until next time...

Barn charm

2011-10-07T08:36:00.001-05:00

On one of my day jaunts a week or so ago, I came upon this charmer. Of course, I just happened to have my camera with me and took it's picture. The old barns with a quilt pattern haven't been around all that long in our area. I took a few photos of other barn quilts last year and if you would like to see them, you can find them here.

This nice old barn is just a short distance down the highway from the red barn. I wondered if perhaps they belonged to the same farmer. It looks deserving of a quilt, too. I took the liberty of straightening this one. The barn looked like it sits a bit crooked otherwise.

Thanks for all your well wishes this week, I'm feeling much better now! I hope to get out this weekend and enjoy this beautiful weather we've been having. We have tentative plans for a little jaunt. I'll tell you about it later! Have a wonderful weekend.

Until next time...

2011-10-05T00:07:00.002-05:00

Giant Swallowtail

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond.
~Irish Blessing

I took several photos of this fluttering-a-mile-a-minute Giant Swallowtail just a few days ago. I was trying to get a spread wing shot, but he flew off before I could capture a very good one. This one is the best of the bunch, isn't he handsome?

I don't have much to say other than I've been under the weather since late Sunday night. Nothing bad, just a virus that makes you think you'll never feel good ever again. Don't ya hate when that happens? I certainly do! But I'm getting better and will try to get a better post up next time. Hope you all are well and enjoying beautiful fall weather this week. I don't say this often enough, but Thank You so much for all of your nice comments here at TFD! See you soon.

Until next time...

What a difference a day makes...

2011-10-03T00:05:00.001-05:00

I hope your first weekend of October was as

gorgeous as ours was. It has been sunny and

pleasant for the past week and this weekend

was perfect. The trees are changing color every day now.

Just a week ago, I was outside walking the path down

by the woods. I snapped a pic of the ash tree showing

off it's fall finery. The trees to the right were just turning

slightly and I didn't see any hint of the red.

Look at the change in the trees in just a week.

Here's another look using the zoom.

The color in this photo isn't quite right because of the sun.

I've noticed a lot of this vine in the trees this year

and I'm not real sure what this is, but the brilliant

red leaves are quite beautiful.

The weather has been wonderful but we could use

some rain. See how the lake has dropped. Our

pond is down about 3 feet. We don't dare burn

anything in our pasture.

While we were out and about Sunday, we saw what looked

like a grass fire a mile or two away. As you can see by

the pasture, it is very dry right now and fires are easily started.

This is the same scene without the closeup of the smoke you

can barely see in the upper right horizon.
I've had a ball playing with the zoom on my camera
lately. I remember the old 35 mm SLR camera I had and
needed to switch lenses out when I wanted a closer shot.

I got some nice pix but I'm glad I have this one.
There is still much to be learned even though

I've been taking pix since I ordered my first Brownie

camera from the back of a cereal box such a long time ago.

These beauties were all green a week ago.
How quickly the colors change!

"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."

~Elizabeth Lawrence

Until next time...

A catch and a tag

2011-09-30T02:10:00.000-05:00

Here's the catch when I stopped by the pond after

my walk the other day. Well, one of my catch.

Here's the rest of the catch, with just a wee bit of help,

but I caught most of them!

The crappie were biting as soon as I threw in the line.

They ended up in the frying pan for supper.

Umm, umm, good!

That was the catch...now for the tag:

One of my very first blogging friends and fellow Missourian, Deanna, surprised me with the Liebster Blog award. Thank you, Deanna! I had never heard of this award and didn't know what Liebster meant. It means "beloved" or "good friend" in German. This award is designed to bring additional recognition to those blogs with fewer than 200 followers. If you receive the award, you should link back to the blogger that nominated you and nominate 5 more blogs. That's it!

I've linked back to Deanna and, without further ado, here are 5 bloggers:

Shug at My Steps of Faith

Carolyn at Aunt C's

Kim at Happy @ Home

Debbie at It's All About Purple

Marie at Women Talk About Life

It was difficult choosing just 5 bloggers because I like them all, but many have over 200 followers or have this award already or don't accept awards. These 5 bloggers are all very interesting and have wonderful blogs. Check them out, you'll be glad you did!

Until next time...

Seen on my walk

2011-09-28T00:01:00.003-05:00

Can you believe some folks think the lovely Goldenrod is just a weed?

Along came a spider...

Let's get a closer look!

I see some baby cedar trees and white flowers that I don't know the

name of. We have several large cedar trees that I love to cut branches from at Christmas. I love the smell of cedar and it reminds me of when I was a youngster at home and our Christmas trees were always cedar.

I didn't realize there were two on the same little wildflower I call an

Aster, I was busy concentrating on the pretty wings of the one on top!

A very large squirrel's nest high in a tree.

A stop by the pond for a little fishing before going to the house. Can you see the line on the left? I'm standing on the dam of the pond on the south side. It's time to concentrate on bringing in that big fish now. I'll show you what I caught another day.

Until next time...

Take a walk with me

2011-09-26T00:05:00.000-05:00

Take a walk with me on the back 40 6. We have mowed a path around the perimeter of our pasture so I can see a snake if it should happen to be traveling in the same area as I'm walking. Can you see the path in the middle of the photo? It meanders to the left of where I'm standing taking the photo and down the little hill and follows the tree line and comes up a little hill to the pond and onward to the yard.

Here's another shot of the path taken from the same spot as in the above photo using the zoom. See how the ash tree's leaves have already turned color? And just around the corner ahead on the path is another ash tree. But before you see it, below is an oak tree that my son and his friends used to play in many years ago. For those of you new to my blog, we've lived here just over 20 years.

You can see one of the boards used for climbing up in the tree is still attached. Hubby found years later, when the boys had outgrown climbing and moved on to more interesting pursuits...girls and sports, that they had left a small tool box behind up in the tree.

In this area of our property, there are a lot of wild grape vines growing. When I was into crafting I used to gather these and wind them into wreaths and decorate. I used to love making these back when they were a popular decorating item. Okay, walking on....

I zoomed in on the ash tree that was just hidden from view in the first photo. It's such a pretty shade of red when the sun is hitting it just right. Soon the leaves will fall leaving the limbs bare. Before we go any further on our walk, I have to stop and tell about the mighty oak that stands in our field.

If trees could talk...I'd love to know what stories this huge oak tree could tell. I'd like to know how long it's been around. The span is at least 75-80 feet and the trunk is much bigger than it appears in this photo. The sun was in the wrong place to get a good capture. There used to be another huge oak almost identical to this one, but a storm blew it down. Hubby and I just happened to be looking out the window a few years ago when a powerful storm came up and we saw it fall. After the storm, we saw that the trunk was hollow. This oak appears to have been hit by lightening and we wonder how long it will last.

Well, I think I'll stop and rest a spell. Walking makes me tired these days, my legs aren't getting any younger you know. I'll have a few more things to show you that I saw on my walk and a stop at the pond is in order before heading back to the house. Until next time...

The view from my kitchen window yesterday.

2011-09-23T00:05:00.000-05:00

Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

Ecclesiastes 11:7

"A cloudless plain blue sky is like a flowerless garden."

~Terri Guillemets

"If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees." ~Hal Borland

"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck."

~Emma Goldman

From early morning before sunrise to later in the afternoon, I snapped these simple photos from my kitchen window. I was pondering during the day on which major chore I should be working on while doing a couple loads of laundry and answering several phone calls. In the end, I didn't get started on any big projects but just enjoyed the beautiful day mostly from my kitchen window. Today won't see any big projects tackled either, I hope to do a little day tripping. More about that later.

Until next time...

Do you have a sweet tooth?

2011-09-21T01:10:00.000-05:00

While we were at Silver Dollar City this

month, we just had to look for their

Apple Dumplings with Cinnamon Ice Cream!

Yum, yum!! I took this photo on my cellphone

and sent it to my kids who sent back texts saying

things like "so not fair!" I'm a good parent

that way...I like to share everything I do.

I'm still missing Branson and was

having a "gotta have something sweet moment",

so since I'd been thinking of Branson I

thought...Funnel Cakes...which can be found

in abundance there. So, I just whipped up

a batch of batter and decided to share a couple

of photos and the recipe with you.

Funnel Cakes

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

2 TB. sugar

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Oil for frying

In a skillet, heat the oil on medium-high heat until hot.

You can test by dropping a pinch of flour in the oil and

when it sizzles, it's ready.

Beat egg and milk. Mix all the other ingredients in a

separate bowl and add slowly to the egg mixture.

Beat until smooth.

Using a funnel, drop batter into hot oil starting at

the center and working outward in a web pattern.

Cook a couple of minutes until golden and slightly puffed.

Flip over once while cooking.

Then sprinkle with powdered sugar

and serve.

I couldn't find my sifter so I just used a teaspoon to

sprinkle on the powdered sugar. It really looks

much better to sift the powder over the cake!

It was yummy. I don't have any idea how many

calories are in this, and being a (slight) diabetic I

shouldn't eat this at all. I'll be good tomorrow!

Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.

~Ernestine Ulmer

Until next time...

Going to Branson - Part 2

2011-09-16T01:19:00.000-05:00

A visit to Silver Dollar City is always a must-do for us when we go to Branson. Silver Dollar City is a theme park dedicated to preserving the 1880's Ozark culture. To keep this post from being too long, I'll point you here for more info on SDC. I just love the atmosphere in Silver Dollar City, since I grew up on a farm with a few rustic looking old barns and buildings and playing in the woods and hollows, that separated the fields and pastures, much like some of the setting of SDC. The sights and smells, the music...wonderful!

Near the entrance to Silver Dollar City.

We went the first day of the National Harvest Festival.

There are craftsmen all around the park

demonstrating their crafts.

The park was beautifully decorated for fall. Have you

ever seen a cornucopia this big?

This old home was actually lived in by a woman from Nebraska

whose family donated it to the park. In one word...primitive.

No utilities of any kind. There are two rooms with 2 little

wood-burning stoves and the cook stove. And we think

we have it rough sometimes??

The old one-room school.

The Homestead Pickers that we always stop to listen to.

They're very good singers with a great sense of humor.

It was fun eating our food at a table beside this man-made waterfall.

There are shows, shops, rides for kids of all ages, restaurants and food stands galore. We stopped to sit at a bench after walking up "Heart Attack Hill" and after looking at our park map discovered

things we had missed. There is so much to see, we'd forgotten

a couple of "roads" to take. But being...ahem...older, our

tired legs decided for us that we'd seen enough this trip.

All too soon it was time to say goodbye to Branson. I love

the beauty of the hills and the sweet spirit that seems to

be over the area in spite of the crowds and traffic that can be

a bother during the busiest days.

We had perfect weather until a little shower came up as we were

heading down the highway to our home close to 200 miles away.

I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse of Branson.

And in this post, Silver Dollar City. If you ever

have the opportunity to go to Branson, I think you'll enjoy it.

There is something there for everyone.

Until next time...

Going to Branson

2011-09-14T11:21:00.000-05:00

Hwy 65 heading to Branson.

We'll be there soon.

Just ahead...Branson!

A few random photos in and around Branson:

Table Rock Dam and Fish Hatchery

Table Rock Lake...with a power line

coming from the dam which generates power.

Beautiful Table Rock Lake.

The dam is just out of the photo to the left.

This cute tractor was sitting out front of a little Flea Market on

Fall Creek Road that we stopped at.

Mulberry Mill is a favorite shop at the Grand Village Mall.

I like to buy a few yummy dip mixes here to take home.

While cruising Branson we stopped in here for a

Funnel Cake and Coke, it has cute decor

and oldies playing on the jukebox.

The Legends in Concert was a fun time.

From left to right are Patsy Cline, the Blues Brothers, and Elvis.

They are all very good performers who look and sound

much like the real artists. We love music and enjoyed the show

very much. I just had my little point and shoot with me,

so the quality of photos isn't very good.

Also performing were Bette Midler and Johnny Mathis.

Both photos were taken during the finale.

I have a few more photos I'll show another time. We had a wonderful time in Branson and we were at Silver Dollar City for the first day of their Harvest Festival. Which got me into the Fall Decorating spirit, so I'll be working on that and some fall cleaning which I'd started before vacation began. I've washed some windows and curtains, dusted down walls, etc. Much is still to be done, but I've made a start! What about you, are you ready for fall? Until next time...

At home...remembering

2011-09-11T22:08:00.000-05:00

(Air Force Photo)

Let us never forget.

A very moving video is here that you may or may not

have seen. It's worth a look.

May God bless America.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

We are back from our week's stay in Branson. It's back to the reality of work, chores...read Fall Cleaning, and the normal routine of everyday life. It's certainly good to get away and relax. We did just that...a lot of napping, eating, seeing the sights, eating, a little shopping, eating and...did I mention eating? I think I gained 10 lbs on this trip!! The first order of business is going to the grocery store and stocking up on healthy food. Hubby got out the riding mower this evening and mowed a walking path around the back 40 6 for us to start walking on in the evenings.

I'll share some photos of our trip later. Meanwhile, it's good to be back and I'll try to catch up on blog reading soon. Until next time...

Our vacation so far...

2011-09-06T14:47:00.000-05:00

So far we've survived an

emergency landing...

A trip over a waterfall...

And enjoyed a nice card game.

And that was just one fun evening at

Treasure Island Miniature Golf!

We are having a fabulous time in Branson.

We arrived Saturday and our children joined us

for a few days. They left today to go

back to work. Hubby and I will be here until Sunday.

We had a wonderful meal last night at one of our favorite

places to eat in Branson, Texas Land and Cattle

at the Landing. We had dinner outside on

the patio overlooking Lake Taneycomo

and watched the fire and water show while eating.

The weather is cooler this week and it's wonderful!

Hubby and I are having a low-key day today

just relaxing in the condo, but we'll be going out soon

to grab a bite to eat and stop in at the
Mulberry Mill in the Grand Village. They

have the yummiest dip mixes, among other

neat things, that I always get several of

when we are here.

Hope you are having a wonderful week, too!

Until next time...

A birthday today and on the road tomorrow...

2011-09-02T10:17:00.000-05:00

Today is hubby's birthday...Happy Birthday!!...we will celebrate tomorrow when we arrive in Branson. Our children will join us for the holiday weekend and they will go back to work on Tuesday. Hubby and I will stay through the following Saturday. We will take in a show or two, Silver Dollar City, and maybe a drive down to Arkansas. I looking forward to seeing the Ozark mountains and checking out some of our favorite places.

I'm off to pack again. Hubby has been on-call this week, and he Never asks anyone to trade with him, so that is the reason we had a week at home in between 'vacations'. Have a wonderful weekend and I'll be back in a week or so, unless I decide to pop in and post from Branson. See ya!

Until next time...

Another river town...

2011-08-31T16:49:00.005-05:00

On our little getaway last week, we stopped in at Cape Girardeau which is about 115 miles south of St Louis on I-55 next to the Mississippi River. It is an interesting town that we have seen before, but it is always worth a stop anytime. The city has numerous murals with the largest being the Mississippi River Tales Mural on the flood-wall which spans the length of the downtown shopping district. The mural has about 24 panels and each one tells a bit of the history of Cape Girardeau.

The Great Flood of 1993, which I won't go into detail about since it's easily found on the internet, was held back from the city by the flood-wall and the photos above show how just how high the flood water was. The photo below from the internet shows the water right up to the wall. I wish I had taken a better shot of just how far down it is to the water from where you see the girl sitting. And then look at the 1993 mark on the monument...it is quite mind-boggling.

(Internet photo)

Here is my photo of the new bridge that replaced the one in the photo above this one. This photo doesn't do it justice as it was evening when I was shooting and the lighting wasn't good. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! :D However, here is a spectacular photo (that I was unsure about copying) of this beautiful bridge if you care to see it. I must say that it is also a very pretty bridge at night with the lights on it.

Can you believe that today is the last day of August? I really can't believe that summer is almost over and even though I love Autumn in all it's glory, I'm thinking that this summer (hot as it was) was way too short! Maybe with cooler temperatures ahead, I'll finally get some of those projects I've put off done.

Until next time...

We're back...

2011-08-29T15:16:00.000-05:00

Have you ever driven into a town/city and felt like you were coming home? On our trip, we stopped in at Ste. Genevieve, Mo, a historic French Colonial village about an hour south of St. Louis. This charming little town is known as one of America's oldest European settlements west of the Mississippi River. I just fell in love with this old town and I could easily live here. I love old things and always have. The old buildings and just the quietness and slower pace of living here greatly appeal to me.

This house was constructed by Louis Bolduc in 1792 and is the first authentically restored historic structure in Ste. Genevieve.

The Felix Valle house was constructed in 1818 in the Federal style.

The beautiful Crepe Myrtle is frequently seen around town and the photo above really belongs to the house pictured below.

This quaint, quiet, laid-back little village is just chock full of interesting old homes, a mix of early nineteenth-century architecture. There are

also unique little gift and antique shops galore to explore.

I wish I could say that I have many more photos to share, but I really didn't take many photos on this trip. There are times when lugging around a camera and holding it up to your face and getting the right settings for the best shot, etc., are just not that important to me. And this vacation was one of those times. We had a relaxing, fun trip and we will be heading down to Branson soon for the second leg of our vacation. For now, I'm off to do some blog reading and catch up on what you have been doing!

Until next time...

Nearly ready to go...

2011-08-19T12:44:00.000-05:00

I'll be away from the land of blog for several days. We're heading out soon on our first leg of vacation. We're both looking forward to seeing some different scenery and just relaxing. We always see something interesting just on the highways when traveling. This semi below was seen on our last trip to KC.

And I always like to take note of the different license plates such as the one below.

We always find things to laugh about when traveling, too. I'm ready for a week of fun and a change of scenery. Okay, back to packing. See you in a week!

Those that say you can't take it with you never saw

a car packed for a vacation trip.

~Author Unknown

The Missouri River and a sunset

2011-08-17T03:00:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, my daughter and I took an evening drive to the nearest town that has a WalMart. For us that is a river town called Boonville. We decided to walk on the walkway by the side of the bridge that crosses the Missouri River. I, of course, took my camera along to get a shot of the sun going down in a pretty orange sky.

After a short walk, we turned around and went back to the car and drove to the Lookout Point at the City Park. It was about time to say goodbye to the sun. The sky had changed from the fiery orange into a soft pink and blue.

The river is still very high. You can see water standing in the fields on the other side of the tree-lined bank of the river.   We had a good rain in this area yesterday. I just hope the river doesn't get any higher.

We enjoyed the quiet setting for a few minutes until a motorcycle zoomed in and we decided it was time to leave and get our shopping done. We just wanted to stop and enjoy a Missouri river sunset.

"If I can put one touch of rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman, I shall feel that I have worked with God."

~ Gilbert K. Chesterton

Until next time...

A nice summer weekend

2011-08-15T03:39:00.000-05:00

"In summer, the song sings itself."

~William Carlos Williams

Just a few remaining weeks of summer are left. I always think of fall as beginning after Labor Day. My flowers are surviving the heat in the flower beds, but the pots are beginning to struggle except for the Knockout Roses I planted in pots this year. They are doing well.

"Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability."

~Sam Keen

Hubby is doing great following his heart attack last month. He has returned to regular work following 2 weeks rest at home and 2 weeks light duty. Lazy is not in his vocabulary, so it's been a relief for him to return to his normal working routine this weekend. He was called to work over the weekend when two utility poles were broken by a bad driver and had to be replaced. Then the weekend was also busy with yard work. We enjoyed a nice, late supper on the patio yesterday where it was shady and not too warm. I can feel a subtle change in the air already. Fall is just around the corner! I do wish to enjoy many more nice evenings on the patio. I love the evening hours just before dark, although nighttime has it's nice moments, too. Such as watching the full moon rising above the trees while listening to the sounds of night.

"Oh, the summer night
Has a smile of light
And she sits on a sapphire throne."
~Barry Cornwall

Until next time...

Puppy Love

2011-08-12T00:05:00.008-05:00

I have a sad story today with a happy ending. This precious

little bundle of fur was found abandoned by the side

of a country road yesterday.

He was found by one of my daughter's employees on her way

to work. He was all alone on the road and she stopped her car

and picked him up and brought him to work with her.

Puppy now has a new home with the girl who found him

and will be loved and given the care he deserves.

It is beyond my comprehension how anyone can so

callously abuse animals

or just dump these little ones out to fend

for themselves. How do they think

they will survive? They don't care.

You've all probably seen the ASPCA commercials

with the Sarah McLachlan song.

They break my heart to watch them.

This little guy is lucky and was rescued by someone

who will love him. Good for her and good luck

to the little puppy. I wish all the animals abused or

abandoned were so fortunate.

~All the photos were taken on my daughter's cellphone.

Until next time...

A fishy story

2011-08-11T01:38:00.011-05:00

This weed is taking over our pond in the back 40 6. I'm not quite sure what it is so if any of you pond owners out there know, please tell me...thanks! A friend said it was duckweed, but I don't think it is. Whatever it is, I am opposed to chemicals in the pond and so we ordered a few grass carp, which are used for aquatic vegetation control, to put in our pond.

Here is a grass carp just released into the pond. The water looks cloudy having been stirred up by the newly deposited fish. I hope they will eat this stuff! Eat, baby, eat!!

We have noticed numerous ponds in our area have moss or some kind of vegetation on them. Some are worse than others. Ours has gotten to the "worse" stage. It is very unattractive to say the least, but more than that, there isn't a place to throw a line out should we want to go fishing. And we do like to fish now and then. And eat our catch!

I remember the ponds/lakes on my dad's farm. He never had the moss or vegetation that is seen today. He did have grass carp in all his lakes, though. So I have high hopes for these little guys. We got 6 and they were only 6-8 inches in length. It's said that they can grow up to 30 lbs. That's a big fish!

Well, the fish are in place. It remains to be seen if they will like our variety of aquatic vegetation. It they don't work out, the only thing left to do besides removing this stuff with nets or seines, is to use chemicals. And I just don't like to think about putting chemicals in our pond where we have lots of fish and often geese and ducks. I've never thought chemicals are as safe as they (whoever they are) say.

And that's my fishy story for today. Until next time...

Tuesday this and that...

2011-08-09T00:44:00.000-05:00

I can't believe school is starting next week here in our area! The summer is flying by quickly, as they seem to do every year. The photo above is one I took a few weeks ago and is the school house at Shelter Gardens in COMO.

I've been so busy lately that I haven't been blogging or visiting as much as usual. I hope to get around to visit everyone soon!

Hubby's doctor (heart) visit went fine and his sleep study went well also. They didn't find enough to indicate that he needed a cpap machine at night. That was surprising to me as I've observed him so often just gasping for air after he quits breathing for a bit. And the snoring!! Anyway, they should know what they're doing with the testing. I hope.

We've had a change of plans as far as vacation goes. After talking with the doctor who said a trip would be okay as long as we are near medical centers, we've decided to postpone our trip out west until spring. We will, however, be taking a couple of weeks off to go somewhere not so far away. We're just going to get in the car and see where it takes us in a couple of weeks. Wonder where we will end up? And then in September, we're going to our favorite place in Branson for 7 nights. Our kids will meet us there for a weekend visit, but we'll have the condo all to ourselves after that. We're really looking forward to this trip in particular. Just to have a change of scenery and relax sounds wonderful! We'll, of course, take in a show or two and go to a few of our favorite places.

It's a bit cooler this week and we've had a few little rains. Most of the flowers are still hanging on but not looking as good as they could. I'm surprised I haven't lost most of them in the extreme heat we've had. It's been a job watering because I have so many pots plus the flower beds, but I tried to do that job very early in the morning before it got too hot. We won't talk about the veggie garden. :D

Until next time...

How far would you drive for dinner?

2011-08-03T01:40:00.000-05:00

I would drive over an hour to eat a

Chicken Quesadilla Fajita

at this Mexican restaurant in Odessa

which is sort of a halfway point

between our house and our son's home

in north Kansas City

to eat with our son who wanted to

see how his dad was doing.

He had just gotten through with a

job in Kansas and drove down I-70 to

meet us.

We had a wonderful visit over a delicious

meal and when we walked outside to our

cars, we noticed the beautiful clouds.

Of course, I had my camera along for such

occasions and quickly snapped these shots.

I managed to get the above shot of our son as

he was backing out to leave. You can probably

see that he's thinking "put that camera away!"

This little restaurant has really good food. I

love to eat out and love Mexican food. The

older I get, the less I like to cook. So, I'll

drive many miles for dinner! How 'bout you?

Until next time...

Summer time, and the living is easy...

2011-08-01T01:44:00.000-05:00

Hello August! I hope you won't be as hot and humid as July!!

It's back to work today for hubby after his 2 week hiatus.

He'll be on light duty for the next 2. A doctor visit this

week will tell us how he's doing and if it's okay to go ahead

with plans for our 2 week vacation this fall.

As for me, I hope to get some much needed cleaning started

this week. I have been lax in the housekeeping department

lately. This hot and humid weather and having hubby

home has been a good excuse to be lazy, but it's time to

get to work. My housekeeper must have lost my address

and phone number because she hasn't shown up yet. Ha!!

What is your least favorite housekeeping chore? Do you

have someone to help you with housework or do it alone?

I'd have to say my least favorite is scrubbing floors.

Probably. I can think of a few more that I'm not particularly

crazy about doing either, but it all has to be done!

Here's to a productive and good week for us all!!

And a good month with some cooling temperatures

and rain for those who need it.

Until next time...