My favorite month

I asked Jim to complete this sentence for me:  Life has been busier than: 

He replied:

A house painter with a two inch brush

Than sh#*

A one legged man in a butt-kickin' contest

A yearling ram in a field of 40  breeding ewes...

That about says it all I guess.

The skies were beautiful yesterday.  The winding road leading home is canopied by multicolored tree limbs.  It is so pretty this time of year.

We watched Allen and Reagan Saturday while Greg and Alicia did more wine hopping.  The ol' soaks!  We had a wonderful day with them.  No pictures, though.  Sometimes the camera needs to be retired and fun just needs to happen.

Sunday we "hit" Les Bourgeois winery in Rocheport.  Some of you have asked about the wines.  We have some definite favorite Missouri wines.  Les Bourgeois has an inexpensive wine that we serve often, River Boat Red.  It is a good all around semi-sweet wine.  However, Jim and I lean more towards the dry wines.  Our favorite Missouri wines are Norton and Chambourcin.  Norton is the driest and most expensive, but amazing!  If you are ever in Missouri - do yourself a favor and go to Missouri wineries.  I've been to Napa Valley and let me tell you, I will pit our wines against theirs any day.

After a glass of wine we stopped at Greg and Alicia's to check out the tree house Greg and Allen are building.  Did I say tree house?  From the looks of it, if Jim ever kicks me out (or the other way around), I will have a place to run to. 

Allen's Tree House.  If I understood correctly, he and Greg are standing in what will be a room. 
They are looking through where there  will be window. 

We then headed on down the road to visit Tessa and Bill and the kids.  Julie and her boys had just left there, so we missed them.  But we did have a really nice visit with Tessa's family. 
Monday morning found me trying to complete my selections for my StampIn Up starter kit.  Since I've begun scrapbooking again, I've found that my supplies were sorely wanting.  The easiest way to fix that is to become a StampIn Up Demonstrator.  This has been a very time consuming process (decisions, decisions, decisions!) and I don't believe I would have seen it through if it had not been for my mentor, Jeannie.  She has taken many hours of her time putting together spread sheets, explaining the products, and making recommendations.  She is truly amazing.  Thank you Jeannie!

So what was Jim doing while I was drooling over scrapping choices?

He was slaving over turnips.  We both love slightly salted raw turnips.  But a person can eat only so many of those before they go bad.  Turnips are amazing in vegetable soup.  So when our neighbor gifted us with a batch of turnips, Jim took to the task of peeling and cubing them for freezing.  Don't ask me what his old dump truck is doing in the picture.  He discovered it while cleaning the garage.  I do believe it will find a home on the  shelf in the pool room.

Since the kids didn't have school yesterday (teachers meetings I think), I finally took Dakota birthday shopping yesterday.  His birthday was in September, but I always say, "better late than never".  He settled on Tech Skateboards and a cool track.  Apparently these little boards can be manipulated with a flip of the finger.  According to Julie, he spent the rest of the afternoon watching Youtube videos about different ways to use the track and boards.  I figured they are better than another video game!

I also took Travis to get his driving permit.  Unfortunately, we forgot to bring his Birth Certificate.  I suggested they let him take the test and then give the permit to his mother when she brought in his birth certificate and signed the form.  They wouldn't even consider it!  In Missouri a parent or legal guardian has to be with the child for them to get their permit.  They can take the test without the parent, but the child has to be with the parent when she signs for the permit.  This definitely makes things difficult since Julie can't leave her day care and Travis is in school and then goes directly to foot ball practice after school. They resolved the problem by Julie's friend taking Travis (with his birth certificate!) to take the test this morning.  He passed with flying colors.  Congratulations Travis!  The Department of Revenue is open one Saturday a month, so Julie and Travis will then go pick up the permit on that Saturday.  Can things get any more complicated?  I'm sure they can, but what an ordeal!

We got rain yesterday!  The temperatures are supposed to dip to almost freezin every evening this week and climb to the 50's during the day.  Have you turned your furnace on yet?  Or built a fire?  We haven't, but I do believe that is going to change REAL soon!

Vanilla or Not Vanilla...

Last weekend was wonderful.  Along with son, Greg, daughter-in-law, Alicia, and their two sweeties, Reagan and Allen, we headed East to Augusta, Dutzow, and Defiance, MO to visit the many wineries there.

The weather was about as good as it can get, with the sun shining and the temperatures hovering around 80 degrees.  The kids were better than the weather.  You would think taking kids to wineries would be a tedious affair, but not with these two.  They were in and out of those car seats enough times to make your head spin, and yet they did not complain a single time.  It truly was a magical day.

I spent more time than I care to think about putting together a slide show of the memories, but for some reason youtube does not like it - even though I used the same program (Windows Live Photo Gallery) that I always do.  So then last night I decided to just load a few of my favorite photos of the weekend.  Blogger didn't like them.  This morning after spinning all night, the pictures had still not loaded.  Grrrrrr.

So here I am, saying life is good.  Time is short.  Fall is busy.  Technology is frustrating.  Family is priceless. The colors of Fall are breathtaking.  And I am still around and will catch up with all of my bloggy friends soon!

Now I am going to try one more time to load a picture or two.  If it doesn't happen almost immediately, then too darn bad.  This will be a vanilla blog.  I like vanilla, don't you?

Brotherly love.  Allen watches over Reagan - except, of course, when he is tormenting her.  So often I want to call him little Greg... he is so much like his daddy!

Mother and daughter - words of wisdom

Nobelis Winery Vinyard

Nobelis winery in Augusta had these huge balls for the kids to play on.  They spent forever rolling down the long hills and bopping each other back an forth. 

If I could only read her miind right now

Reagan and Allen on the way to the last winery - what troopers!



Rolling Missouri hills hinting of fall colors



Allen and Greg - love the people, love the scenery!

According to Wiki.answers, 'In vino veritas' is Latin for 'in wine, the truth'. It refers to the fact that, owing to their inhibitions being lowered, people are more honest after they have been drinking alcohol, and often say things they wouldn't say if sober.  I do believe that about sums it all up!

Vinyard mural painted on the side of a metal building

  Well how about it!  This post isn't vanilla after all.  Now I am going to try linking to one of my youtube videos that did load and leave you with the sounds of children playing.

Like I said, I'll be around the blogs soon.  I promise!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f89UIl3NWqc (thanks Iggy for getting a good link for me. you're the bestest!)

This man of mine just doesn't get it. 

As we were looking at clothes yesterday, he pointed out a manequin dressed in a beautiful red turtle neck sweater, topped with a white, wooly, sweater vest.  "That would look good on you," he says.   "Are you crazy!?!" says I.

I have been plagued with hot flashes and night sweats for over 20 years.  One Dr. told me that it would only last a short time.  *insert loud buzzer here*  WRONG!  I've long ago given up on the hope that they will eventually go away.  I no longer call it menopause (or is that mentalpause).  It is a way of life.  Along with things like weight gain, facial hair, sleep disorders, and mood swings. 
I blame my breast cancer on the harmones that I took for 6 months - and they didn't even help.  My advice is don't take harmones to ease the nasty ol' effects of hot flashes.  It isn't worth it.

I've also tried to ease things with:

Black Cohosh
Vitamins A, B, C, D, and E.  I kid you not.  An alphabet worth of vitamins.
Flax
Some sort of ....wart I believe (remember this has been going on for a year or two, or 10 or 20)
Clonidine

There are a ton of other things I've tried.  N.O.T.H.I.N.G works.

Everyone should be an expert at something.  I'm an expert at layering clothing.  First a tank, then short sleeve tee, followed by a long sleeve shirt or blouse, and then a jacket.  Yes, I said a jacket - even  in summer.  The is mandatory when eating out.  Invariably the restaurant is cool to the temperature of a meat locker.  Initially the jacket feels good.  Then as the walls close in, the flashes start, and clothing starts flying.  This is followed by chills as the cold and clammy skin connects.  Where's my jacket?!?

Night times are always interesting.  These cool nights are perfect for crawling under a nice, warm, quilt.  Then a flash hits.  Jim hangs on to his side of the bed covers as I start wildly kicking.  Then it passes and I am shivering in my damp jammies, with my head on a hot pillow.  Double yuck.

When I worked full time, all of my co-workers knew if I quickly disappeared from a meeting, it had nothing to do with anything other than I was ready to explode from the inside out. 

After I slugged Jim for being insensitive by suggesting clothing I couldn't possibly wear, we purchased a sensibly cool top and blouse and headed out, laughing at visions of me coming out of that sweater and vest at the most inappropriate of times.  He reminded me of the day my mother was standing in her driveway telling us goodby and a bumble bee flew down the front of her top.  She came out of that shirt faster than Whiskey being chased by Bailey.  Like mother like daughter...  On second thought, maybe he does get it

That's a good question

Jim and I were talking about our President while on a recent road trip.

Eight year old Grandson, Allen, was in the back seat listening.  If you think kids don't listen, you are sadly mistaken.  They may not always respond when you want them to, or do what you tell them to.  But they do hear you.  I'm certain of that.

Our conversation went something like this:

Allen:  How did he get there?

Me:  People voted for him.

Allen:  I voted for him.

Me:  You mean you voted for him in school?

Allen.  I just voted for someone because they told me I had to.  I didn't know who he was...

Do any of us really know who we are voting for?  As I listen to the GOP jockeying for position, slamming each other, making promises they can't keep, I feel like Allen.  At some point I am going to be told it is time to vote for someone.  And I  won't know who he or she is...

Even though I worked in State Government for over 30 years, half of them in the offices of elected officials, I don't consider myself political.  I witnessed the inside operations of politics first hand.  Decisions were often made for the right reasons.  But, unfortunately, they were also quite often made for the wrong reasons - special interest groups promising to do something, or maybe the elected official wanted a pet project backed.  Everything you've heard goes on, does.

Whoever becomes our leader after the next election is going to be faced with tough decisions.  I am hoping someone emerges who is strong enough in faith and character to face those tough decisions head on and do what is right.  We need someone who will get us back on the right track.  Personally I believe the first step is to bring God and respect back in the schools.  But it doesn't matter what I think.  What matters is that everyone knows who they are voting for.  But how are we going to gain that knowledge?  Obviously we have to listen to what they say.  More importantly, we have to pay attention to what they have done. 

In every day life we are told, if the deal sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.  The same goes with politics.  If the promises sound too good to be true, then they probably are.  All I know is that it is time to be watching and learning about our candidates NOW.  It is time to get our great country back on the right track.  Past time.

*hops down off my soap box*

We have been having beautiful weather here in Missouri.  God is smiling down on us for sure.  It would be nice if He would send a little rain this way, though.  Darn it, there I go complaining again.  Never satisfied. 

Have a wonderful day!

The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

Or maybe this post should be entitled "Look Out Below!"

Or "Duck!"

Or "Fore!

Or "Hard Hat Area"

Or.... "Living Amongst Large Oak Trees Can Be Dangerous"

 

The forest is raining acorns.  They sound like gun shots as they ricochet off the rooftops.

 Possibly I  should post a "Danger" sign

The deer, squirrels, coons, possums and all the other critters should be quite content with their supply of food.



You really don't want to step off that porch Bailey, it's a war zone out there.

This is our Church Fall Festival weekend.

Over the past few weeks I've made three aprons and eight burpies to donate to our country store.

Friday afternoon I stood with 14 others, carving turkeys.  We then pulled up a chair and chopped celery for stuffing

Saturday I baked 4 loaves of bread, 2 pecan pies, 2 apple pies, 2 pineapple upside down cakes  

Then we headed out of town to Arrow Rock.

We paid $3.09 for gas.  $3.09!  It has been over a year since I've seen gas priced that low.



Greg (son) and his family were camping in Arrow Rock and invited us to join them for the evening.

Greg BBQ'd pork steaks to perfection.  Alicia served scalloped potatoes, corn, and a chocolate cake that screamed calories.  It was delicious.  Her mom brought a great lettuce salad.  And we brought wine.

Sitting around the campfire, watching the flames dance while the kids roasted marshmallows, was the perfect ending to a very hectic week.

Now to survive the Fall Festival today!

Keepers of Memories

Aunt Jane and Uncle Ivo did not have children of their own. 

I never knew why for sure.  This was not a topic discussed by that generation, other than in whispers.  I remember asking my mom "why" once, but don't remember the answer.  I was pretty young at the time.  I really need to remember to ask Aunt Yvonne, mom's youngest sister.

Jane and Ivo - 1946

You would think that since there were no kids to fight over the estate, that for once there would be no family squabbles.  Unfortunately, that isn't the case.  One family was closer to Jane and Ivo than anyone else, so I always assumed they would be the beneficiaries of their estate.  That is what happened  - and rightfully so.  One person has quit speaking to everyone else in the family because of this.  I want to shake her 70+ year old body and say "grow up".  It was theirs to do with as they wished.  Period.

Jim and I find ourselves often taking on the roll of caretaker of memories.  We like to preserve the past.  Our kids will be left with the task of deciding what to do with our addiction when we're gone. 

Sorry guys!

Iron Bird Feeder

This iron bird feeder was hidden away underneath one of the sale tables.  Jim spotted it first.  It was love at first site.  We have no idea how old the feeder is or where they had it.  They had a farm in Lohman, so I'm thinking it might have been there.  Or maybe their back yard.  I just don't know.  There is an iron spike that sticks into the ground to stabilize the feeder.  One.  There used to be four.  The remaining one will probably break off soon, but the feeder is heavy enough that it isn't going anywhere as long as  it is sitting solidly on the ground.  We need to put on our thinking caps and figure out a way to repair it, but for now, I'm enjoying just seeing the birds flock to their new/old restaurant.



This carpenter's box had to come home with us.  It is rustically primitive.  Since I don't know its story, I've had to come up with my own.  I'd like to think this box belonged to Ivo's dad.  I can just see him loading it onto the back of his buggy or model-T at the turn of the century as he headed out for a long day of work.




Carpenter's Box turned Game Chest

  We were outside loading up some of our purchases, when I happened to walk back into the auction hall and the auctioneer was holding this skillet in the air.  I raised my hand to bid and he said SOLD!  I got it!  I've been wanting a good old, already seasoned, cast iron skillet this size.  My friend Patti at Osage Bluff Quilter says she has been watching for a Wagner #11.  This one is a Wagner #12.  Close enough?  Although I've yet to fry chicken in it, I've used it several times.  Love, love, love it!


Iron Skillet

These pillow cases were my steal of the day.  They were preserved in a plastic bag.  The auctioneers had thrown them on the table with old linens, bath towels, and such.  It was towards the end of the sale and they were the last thing I planned to bid on.  By this time the auctioneers were lumping things into piles and these were added to a pile of towels and pretty much worthless kitchen stuff.

Since I was the only bidder, I'm pretty sure I was the only one who knew what treasures that pile of stuff held. stuff.  The auctioneer said, "who bids $2".  I raised my hand.  "Do I hear $3.00".  I kept my hand in the air.  "$2.50"  I kept my hand in the air.  He finally looked at me and said "I already have you at $2".  I didn't care.  I was taking no chances.  Finally, I heard "SOLD for $2 to # 159"

Lace edged pillow cases

 I like to think Jane & Ivo's neighbor lady, Mrs. Gadd, crocheted and embroidered these beautiful pillow cases.  They are too pretty to use.  I will probably display them on a quilt rack. 

Shame on the auctioneers for not valuing what they were selling more.

Embroidered Pillow Cases

My new favorite yellow coffee cup was also included in that $2 pile of handiwork. 

As I sit here blogging and sipping coffee, I think of the need to start documenting the stories of the many antiques and family items we have chosen to preserve.  Hopefully my children and grandchildren will want to carry on the tradition of keepers of memories.

Triplets

I have a problem.

I can no longer get my my t-shirts, or in the case of these cool Missouri mornings, my much needed sweatshirts, over my swelled head.  So I grabbed my warmest blouse as a substitue, and darned if the buttons didn't all pop off the minute I slipped them in the button hole. Not a pretty sight at all. 

You see, I recently received an award.  Not once.  Not twice.  But three times!  If that doesn't make a person feel special, I don't know what will.

Deanna picking wild flowers and weeds

Originally, Just Stuff From A Boomer, gave me the Liebster Award.  Like her, I had no idea what it meant.  She was kind enough to do the research for me.  Here is what she said:  "Because I had never heard of this award, I did a little detective work and discovered that liebster in German, means "beloved". 

The Liebster Blog Award is designed to bring additional recognition to those bloggers with less than 200 followers.  If you receive the award, you should link back to the blogger that nominated you and nominate 5 more blogs.  And, also, don't forget to let them know you nominated them.

Boomer is one of my newest friends, and I have to say I enjoy her blog immensely.  As a fellow baby-boomer, I find myself walking down memory lane with you more often than not.  You're the best!  I've linked back to you and sure do hope every single one of my 61 (actually 12 if you go by comments left ;) followers head over to your blog right this minute... I mean after they finish reading this post.

My dear friend of many years, Iggy, surprised me with an honorary mention when he himself received the same award from Betty.  Iggy's blog is the first one I ever followed.  His is the most educational, heartfelt, sincere, kind... great blog around.  Although we have never met, I consider Iggy one of my best friends ever.  Do me a favor and check him out.  I guarantee you will be glad you did.  You might want to bring an umbrella, though.  Because he recently sprung a leak in his bathroom!  Thank you Iggy.

And then it happened.  My friend from Wales, Tori,  also nominated me.  When I think of Tori, there is no way to come up with one word to describe her.  Inspiration comes to mind.  Then brave.  Then amazing.  Tori has taken her followers through the agony of losing her eyesight and the fears and tribulations that accompanies her journey.  She wows us with photos of her sweet dog Kero and posts projects of her knitting and other projects.  I am humbled by Tori.  And I thank her for the award. 

Now I have a difficult job ahead of me.  I need to nominate 5 for this award.  Drum roll please....

Steve of Third Half of Life

Betty of A Corgi in Southern California

Patti at Osage Bluff Quilter

Travis at One Word, One Rung, One Day

 (Travis has a little over 200 followers, but I'm nominating him anyway since I never was very good at following rules.)

Cheryl at The Farmer's Daughter

I hope you will check them out.  Trust me... you will be glad you did!