June 11, 2012

  • Rain here!

    After a lovely early spring with plenty of rain we then experienced a very dry spell…..up until last  night. It rained 1/2 an inch here in our little corner of Southern Iowa. This morning everything is fresh and clean and the grass is perking up. We could use more but this has certainly helped.

    It is haying time here and many have their 1st cutting completed and the bales picked up. The smell of freshly cut hay fills the air, it’s very nice. We no longer farm but our son does. He raises cattle and the hay crop is vital to his operation.

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    We celebrated the 57th wedding anniversary of our good friends last evening. A quiet gathering with a few close friends. Their wedding picture shows 2 skinny young kids dressed for a simple ceremony, she was 16 he was 18. I like to say it is not how you start out but how you end up that matters. It does my heart good to see long term marriages celebrated.

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    Love these old barns!

     

     

June 5, 2012

  • My 1st blogging love…..will you take me back?

    What an unfaithful lover I have been. Xanga had been so good to me but yet I wandered far from it and courted another.  I want to return to my first love but am uncertain if Xanga will have me back. If I promise to be loyal and promise to be true will this work out? I read something today that said,”before you can cross a bridge someone must build it”. With that in mind I am beginning the building and will offer this rose as a token of my repentance.

March 29, 2012

  • An Ending and A Beginning

    To those of you who have commented and messaged wondering where I have been I thank you for your concern. Several of you knew that my younger sister had suffered for 14 years with a rare form of Parkinson’s Disease called MSA, Multiple Symptom’s Atrophy. Her battle ended Feb. 28th. Although we all knew it was a terminal disease the finality and adjustment to no longer having her with us is unsettling.

    This picture was taken a couple of years ago. Susan on the left, me in the middle and my sister Dominie on the right. Through all of  these last years we had grown very close. With the assurance that Susan is now in the presence of The Lord we go on with our lives and adjust to no longer having our quiet sweet sister with us.

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    Losses and times like these do make one re-evaluate priorities and attempt to learn something from those experiences. From Susan I am learning not to complain about how I feel. She never once voiced a complaint as she struggled with this disease and the pain and disabilities that came with it. that is just one of the many things I learned from her. One more observation that is monumental to me. Her husband never wavered in his care of her, ’till death do us part’ was a serious commitment. Certainly makes me impatient for no fault divorce based on “I am not happy”. Well Susan’s husband certainly could not have been “happy” but took his ‘in sickness and in health’ vows seriously as he gave total care to his life time mate.

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February 15, 2012

  • My Hiatus and Picture of The Week

     I intentionally limited my blogging shortly after my main computer crashed. While it was being repaired I became aware of how addicted I was to being online. I think I successfully went through withdrawal. Hopefully I can browse subscriptions and catch up with everyone while leaving a comment along with my footprints and still attend to my ADL *Activities of Daily Living*

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    While driving along a road I frequently travel I noticed this old International truck nestled among the weeds. I was astounded I had been by it many times and had not actually “seen” it. But I like to think in summer the brush and weeds hide it from the road since I am usually on the lookout for old vehicles and old buildings. So this is my photo of the week.

    Love the b/w also

    Which do you like the best?

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    Since I am so far behind in my browsing you may see my footprints with no comments, I have missed everyone.

     

January 31, 2012

  • Mexican Stew,The Puzzle,Rummikub,Tea and Me

    Buckeyegirlie asked what we were doing in 2007 5 years ago.The following was posted Jan, 30,2007. My little sister’s (ourmissbrooks) Parkinson’s has  progressed greatly since then.

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    I sure had a nice time today. Miss Brooks invited me for lunch. Her husband makes this wonderful Mexican Stew

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    I’ll post the recipe if anyone wants it. It was very good.

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    I had planned a traveling tea party

    Hutch,Darlene and Jeanine joined us for Rummikub,tea and cake. We had seen very little of our Friend Darlene,it was very good to see her. 

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    Marshall had shared a puzzle with me that Miss Brooks wanted to try so we set up her card table under a sunny window

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    With some help from everyone the border was completed before I left. It was a nice way to spend a very cold day in January.

January 17, 2012

January 10, 2012

  • A good way to begin the New Year

    Fritz recently hosted his cardboard pizza, taco and root beer float supper with the 5 grandsons and with one of our 3 granddaughters. It was a fun evening ending with traveling Bingo and trying to teach Grandpa how to play a game called Munchkins.

    Getting these fun loving people to pose nicely is not easily accomplished:

    Moon pies were one of the bingo prizes.

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    Nose glasses were also a big hit as a Bingo prize, shown here is our Ben a jr. in college

    Shown here are Ethan 23, a sr. in college, Paul 15, a freshman in high school, Ben 21, Jacob 19, a college freshman, Sam 18, a sr in high school who has enlisted in the AF, Jacy who is soon to be 15, a freshman in high school posing with Grandpa and Grandma.

    Great fun, never a dull moment. Grandpa has these suppers twice  a year or so. In summer when he has his cardboard pizza suppers he sets up the badminton net and shows these young fellows what an old man can do.(his words not mine)

January 2, 2012

December 31, 2011

  • The Week In Review Reposted from 2009, a trip down memory lane

    Sunday, December 27th

    Ethan, our oldest grandson celebrated his 21st birthday. Following the family tradition both sets of grandparents,the brothers and Boy Genius and his wife gathered together for cake and ice cream after we braved the snow covered roads.

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    Monday, Dec. 28th

    I went for a hike through the freshly fallen snow

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    Bella led the way leaving tracks that looked like snow shoe prints as she hopped and left the imprint of here pudgy little body as she struggled in the deep snow.

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    Gorgeous scenery, great views, making the hike wonderful.

    Tuesday the 29th

    Yvonne invited the Forget Me Nots for brunch.

    Here is Judy Judy, Linda, Lucy, Yvonne, Hutch and in front is Miss Brooks and Kackie Dee. Donna took the picture.

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    Yvonne was going to pose sitting on the floor but found she could not get up…or maybe she was trying to get down…nevertheless it makes for an interesting picture doesn’t it?

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    Wed. Dec.30th

    Grandpa invited our 5 grandsons for the cardboard pizza and root beer float supper he enjoys fixing. I listened in as he called the boys and told them this time would be different than other times. This time they’d throw away the pizzas and eat the boxes. I had the seasoned meat for tacos ready and the boys and grandpa prepared the rest.

    *update* Grandpa has this Thursday, Jan 6th  scheduled for another cardboard pizza night. He has the boys here twice a year, once in winter and then in summer, guess you’d call it a tradition.

     

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    They played traveling bingo

    It became rather rowdy

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    But everyone ended up with a prize.

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    Today is Dec.31 New Years Eve. It has been a good year.

    For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah 29:11

     We do not know what tomorrow holds but we know who holds tomorrow

    HAPPY NEW YEAR to you!

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December 30, 2011

  • Leaving The Light On For You……

    Taking my hike in the morning rather than in the afternoon resulted in seeing the sunrise rather than sunset.

    Looks like someone left a light on in this old trailer doesn’t it?

    Maybe leaving the lights on in these old cars ran their batteries down so they no longer run?

    Maybe not!

    Two of our 5 grandsons doing what they like to do. These boys always horse around at home, always, they’re seldom in the same room without punching, tickling, tripping or teasing each other. Much physical contact, laughing and reacting to each other.

    Makes for an interesting time with them for sure.