Triangles and Eagles

I'll get to HIS BOX blog post eventually.  I will!  No, I'm not procrastinating - I just haven't done it yet.  Should I add it to my goals?  If I haven't done it by Monday, I will.  So there.


My Christmas Post included a picture of Tessa, Julie, and Alicia with iron triangles.  Chicago Lady asked what the significance was of those triangles.  Here is the story.

We moved here in 1981.  Since we had a little acreage, our children tended to wander.  So did my husband.  I was constantly yelling at them when it was time to eat - to no avail.  One year, during one of our many trips to Branson and Silver Dollar City, we decided to buy one of their iron triangles.  The one we have was made by Shad Heller. 



Iron triangle made by Shad Heller at Silver Dollar City



If you read the story, you will see he was quite a personality.  We always enjoyed visiting with him during our many visits to Branson.  Once we got the iron triangle, everyone knew that when they heard the clanging, they'd better drop what they were doing and come running.



This year for Christmas we thought it would be fun to carry on the iron triangle tradition with our kids.  So we found another personality, Osage Bluff Blacksmith, through his wife, Osage Bluff Quilter and had a triangle Christmas!    We met The Blacksmith and Ms. Quilter through our blogs, but have since found our lives are very similar.  What great friends!



Daughters, Julie and Tessa, and Daughter-in-law, Alicia, opening presents of triangles



One of my goals is to take time to go Eagle Watching.   Cheryl of The Farmer's Daughter asked where we go eagle watching.  I'm probably not the best person to ask that question of since I have never spotted an eagle.  My daughter in law was telling me last weekend that one swooped down in the front of her car while she was driving to her brother's house.  Now that would have scared me to death.  But what a thrill!

Last year we went to the Lake of the Ozarks and happened onto Willmore Lodge.  You can read that post here.  We seriously talked about returning there within the next few weeks with big ol' thermoses of coffee and the camera and hanging out on the wrap around deck.  But we've decided to try someplace else.  By the way, it is Eagles Day at the Lake of the Ozark this weekend..  For more information on places to go for the best Eagle Watching opportunity, go to the Department of Conservation's web site.

Our plan is to head towards Hannibal, MO to the little town of Clarksville.  According to their official website,

Clarksville, MO is located on Missouri Highway 79 which is part of the Great River Road and is one of the most scenic highways along the Mississippi River.  It overlooks U.S. Lock and Dam 24, providing a close vantage point to
view all river boat and barge traffic.  This City, located in Pike County, is also
one of the largest winter migrating areas for the Bald Eagle.  Clarksville is filled with artists, potters, glass blowers, jewelry designers, antique dealers, furniture makers, and specialty craftsmen.

Clarksville is on a National Scenic Byway and lies halfway between Canada and the Gulf of Mexico, halfway between Hannibal and St. Louis, MO and is near the Clarence Cannon Dam and Mark Twain Lake.  It rests at the foot of Lookout Point/Sky Lift Hill, the top of which affords an 800 square mile view of the river and valley and is one of the highest points on the Mississippi  River.

I'm lookin forward to this road trip. Is there any doubt that there will be pictures? Maybe not of Eagles, although I hope so, but pictures never the less.

Challenges

 

How do you like my dirty window?  Or did you only notice my pretty African Violet that is flourishing, but has yet to yield any drop dead gorgeous blooms?  Both are challenges.  The window is too high for me to just run outside and clean.  It takes an extension ladder.  Maybe we (Jim) can tackle that challenge this Spring.  I've watered and fed my African Violet and offered filtered light (admittedly through a dirty window).  When I bought it for 50 cents at Lowes, it was almost dead.  So I am obviously up for challenges.  But what now...  Less water?  More fertilizer?  A challenge.

We just paid our real estate and personal property taxes.  Talk about a challenge!  Of course the challenge of income taxes will soon follow.  Ugh.  Maybe I'll try facing that challenge head on and get it done right away rather than waiting until the last minute like I usually do.

Whether she realizes it, I don't know, but my daughter, Tessa, and her family, gave me a challenge for Christmas.  They gave me a gift certificate from blog2print to get my blog made into a book.  Now that is super cool!  It is also going to be a super challenge. 

I've been blogging since the end of 2007.   Many of my posts are not book worthy.  Admittedly, none of my posts would be book worthy to the rest of the world, but to me they are a point in time that I obviously thought noteworthy or I wouldn't have blogged about it.  I went to the website today and checked things out.  This is going to be great but... a challenge!  I've decided the simplest way to do this is to start from the very beginning (like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music, singing Do Re Mi).  That's a very good place to start.. and label each post that I want included in the book.  Then I can process it and see where the cost is and add or delete.  Oh yes, this is definitely going to be a challenge.  A wonderful challenge.

Shoot, I just noticed cob webs behind my blinds.  Another challenge!  I'll be back later.  It looks like I have some cleaning to attend to.

Awayward in the Manger

Thirty or so years ago Jim gave me a Precious Moment's Nativity set for Christmas.  Every year since, I have carefully set it out for all to see.

It usually looks something like this.  Mary and Joseph and a little lamb watching over baby Jesus, and the Three Wise Men off in a distance.  After all, according to the bible, they are coming from Persia and aren't there yet.

This year the wise men saw a little action.  Jim's mom took a liking to one in particular and was bound and determined to take it back to the nursing home with her.  You can see his little crown poking out of the top of the kleenex in her hand.  When Emily asked her what she was doing, she told her that "Nana told me I can have it".  We now call her Cleptograndma. 

When I got up Christmas morning, all three Wise Men were back in place, safe and sound.  Apparently they couldn't wait to see baby Jesus, and chose to come from on high rather than from afar.  At some point the crib was re-roofed with a coaster.  I wonder which grandkid is going to fess up to the redecorating...

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.  We certainly did.  Nothing makes me happier than see family spend time together.  We ate, drank, played, talked, ate, drank, talked, played, ate... and then  read the Christmas Story of the birth of baby Jesus right before opening presents.  We also took LOTS of pictures.  As I looked through them, I noticed an amazing number of pictures of people taking pictures. 

Since we celebrate with the family on Christmas Eve, after we went to Church Christmas morning, we had the whole day to ourselves.  The temperatures rose to the upper 50's.  What a beautiful day!  Other than taking a walk to the pond and back, we just hung out all day.  How did you spend Christmas?

Merry Christmas

From our house to yours

Merry Christmas!

An early Christmas present to myself

Every year the week before Christmas I give myself an early Christmas present.  Yes, I am selfish that way.  But I love myself, so each year I do it. 

This morning I headed to the outpatient hospital clinic and trudged down the long hallway for my annual mammogram.  We've all heard the jokes about mammograms... you know the lay down on a cold concrete floor with your boob wedged under the rear tire and have a friend back over it a few times... there are hundreds of mammogram jokes out there.  But.  Mammograms are no joke.  They save lives.  Eight years ago a mammogram saved my life.  If you are 40 or older, please do yourself a favor and get your annual mammogram. 

Every year I try joking with the technician, saying things like "you are going to give this to me half price since you only have to do one scan, aren't you?" or "don't get confused and scan the wrong side, it might pop".  They are always nice and joke back.  I'm sure they've heard it all.

So today was Merry Christmas to me!  Have you don't anything nice for yourself this Christmas?

Oh, and I'm not a complete masochist.  After my mammogram I treated myself to an afternoon at the beauty shop.   Cut, color, shampoo, and style!