A little something eeeeekstra

And the Answer (finally) Is........

2011-12-16T00:30:00.000-06:00

Alaska!

Yes, it's true (sorry Janet!)--in August B. and I took a trip to that definitely north of Kansas state. Thank you to those of you who took time to comment and make guesses!

The "really big hint" in the previous post--that was Mount McKinley in the background. You know--that really big mountain, the one that's the highest in North America. But it's okay if you didn't recognize it. I wouldn't have either, before our trip.

So, where do I begin to summarize a fantastic, two-week trip? Obviously I can't publish all 755 photos! Guess I'll try to break them down into categories.

Today I'll focus on Family and Friends that we were able to see.

B's sister, L, lives in Soldotna, on the Kenai Peninsula. She and her husband graciously picked us up from the airport in Anchorage, let us use their vehicle until we rented one, gave us a place to stay while in their part of the state, and basically treated us like royalty!
THANK YOU, L and C!

L went with us on a day cruise from Homer to the fun little town of Seldovia. You can't drive to get there!

She bought a different variety of flower from one of Seldovia's shops right on the bay.....

...to add to the MANY she has planted around their place.

One afternoon L's friend, C, had just finished giving a riding lesson, so she let me mount up for awhile. It had been years since I'd been on a horse. Thanks, C!

Here's B with the V family. They lived just a couple of miles from us when the kids were little, but have been living in Alaska for a good number of years now, where they built their beautiful home. It was so good to see and spend a bit of time visiting with B, J, C, K, and K! Their other son, B, was away.

Checking out one of Alaska's amazing rivers up close...

.....and from far above, another one that had a completely different attitude!

L and B at the Soldotna visitor's center a couple of days before we headed home.

The next Alaska post I do (though not necessarily the next post) will include wildlife!

Final Hint--a REALLY BIG one!

2011-10-20T16:54:00.000-05:00

If you checked in on my previous post, http://joeks55.blogspot.com/2011/10/big-hint.html , or a few of posts ago, http://joeks55.blogspot.com/2011/09/some-questions-some-answers.html, then you know I've been leaving hints about where B and I went on vacation in August.

This is the final hint. I'd say that it's a REALLY BIG one. (hint, hint)

Next time I'll reveal where we went.

A Hint

2011-10-14T14:14:00.001-05:00

Here's a hint about where we went on that summer vacation that I still need to blog about.

Chirp, Chirp! #1--Singing Sunshine

2011-09-11T00:08:00.000-05:00

Caught this oriole swaying on a branch outside my kitchen window early one May. Love its color!

For N.Y. Martha : )

2011-09-10T23:57:00.000-05:00

Whoops! I let August get away, but here's your reminder, Martha!

Better late than never!

Some Questions, Some Answers

2011-09-08T11:18:00.001-05:00

Who..... has continued to check in on my blog, even though I have been very lax about posting? I don't really know, but hope that not everyone has given up on me!

What..... have I been doing all summer? Well, there's been VBS, cat-sitting, serving free monthly meals with our church project, celebrating birthdays, taking a vacation with B, and trying to get the computer room/office in order, but probably nothing that really justifies my extended absence here.

When..... will I post again? I would promise a post every week, or every few days, or... but I don't want to make any promises I ~~can't~~ won't keep. ; )

Where..... did we go this summer? Hmmm... that sounds like a post (or two) of its own. I'll just give you this hint for now--it was farther north than Kansas! (No fair giving it away in comments if you already know.)

Why..... don't I post some pictures? I don't know. Maybe I will!

Hey, western Kansas friend, R--this photo of our yuccas in bloom is for you!

Spud, our visitor for half the summer.

T (my brother) and Mom when we celebrated her birthday.

This is just a quilt I saw during our vacation.

See you next post!

One Small Thing After Another

2011-07-05T21:51:00.009-05:00

One small thing after another adds up to be......Clutter! Ugh. It seems so never-ending. I'm not sure I'll ever get it ALL conquered, but I keep trying.

There must be hundreds of websites with advice on dealing with it, ranging from elaborate programs to simple daily suggestions. It's nice to be able to pick up an idea here and another there, but of course it all comes down to JUST DEALING WITH IT (one small thing after another), because it sure isn't going to leave the house on its own!

Organizing Junkie--http://bit.ly/lZ8sJu-- is giving away a book called Clutter Rehab today. Who knows, maybe I'll win and get even more inspiration!

Pink Sun Planet

2011-06-07T21:34:00.000-05:00

The sun looked like a planet this evening. It was such an unusual color before even getting down to the horizon.

Spring Hodge-Podge

2011-05-27T22:29:00.001-05:00

It was fun to see these colorful train engines one day.

A pastor from Papua New Guinea visited our area. M, B, and our pastor showed him around. He enjoyed seeing a Kansas farm first-hand.

Pastor C takes a break!
This is taken at Alcove Springs, a stop along the Oregon Trail.
They also took him to the dairy where T used to work, checked out the calves, and helped with the milking!

Then it was back to our place for kite flying and our first picnic of the year!
Another Spring day in April the director of a day care in a nearby town asked M to come over and fly kites with the kids. Good thing B, B's sister K, and I went along to help. They've mostly gone back inside now, but there were bunches of kids who tried their hands at flying kites!

We celebrated Easter at K and A's, their first time hosting family for a holiday. They did a fine job!

A ~~trunk~~ back of the van full of Spring!

Sarah Circle handed out the pansies after church for May Day gifts.

Yes, though it took its sweet time getting here, Spring has sprung!

A Quest, or Four

2011-05-06T10:01:00.004-05:00

I took part in the Kansas Senior Spelling Bee again this year. The sign that greeted us made us smile!

Unfortunately, I didn't make it out of the written round.

But my "Quests" were great support anyway.Thanks for being there K, A, Mom and B.
Maybe next year I can make it to the oral rounds once more!

Winter Wrap-up, a poem

2011-04-09T00:03:00.000-05:00

Winter Wrap-up

Winter came.

We ate, we worked.
We slept, or not.
We cried.
We laughed.
We prayed
We praised.
We waited.

Winter stayed.
.......
.....
...

Winter went.

Miscellaneous Winter Pictures

2011-04-04T23:58:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, someone told me it was Spring! What? I didn't get any pictures from winter posted! So, without further ado, this past winter included.....

A caroling party
Celebrating Christmas (A, K, T, and M)
Gathering with family
A new game... ...or two
Starting the New Year out on the right foot
A little snow and a lot of cold

The basement walls finally getting some border, which we bought years ago, before border was "out of style." Isn't that right, Mom? ;)

A Swedish supper with church and neighborhood friends

And adding a "few" more miles to the van!
(if you enlarge the photo, you'll see that's five zeros after the two)

November Mystery Tour

2011-02-12T21:05:00.002-06:00

Last Fall our pastor invited anyone who wanted, to go along on a "Mystery Trip". Only two of us took her up on it, and had a nice, relaxing day as she drove us to Omaha.

Our main destination turned out to be Lauritzen Gardens. Beautiful!
This miniature weeping fig is only 35 years old. They had a miniature lacebark elm that was closer to 75.
I absolutely loved this Mexican Bush Sage. It looks and feels like velvet!
(Easier to tell if you enlarge the photo.)
They had a model railroad track built through part of the area. Would have been fun to see it running.
One of many rose bushes.Purple Hyacinth Bean
An Armillary Sphere. Looks like it was almost 1:00.
Crabapple
More Mexican Bush Sage
All that walking made us hungry. Pastor C. took us to one of her favorite places to eat, Bob Monkey's Noodle Zoo.
Szechuan Noodles--"A spicy grill of chicken, carrots, snow peas, sweet pepper and onion served over Linguini with spinach and tomatoes." In other words... YUM!
After lunch, we spent time shopping/wandering around some fun shops in old downtown Omaha.
I'll close with some "Advice From a Squirrel," taken from a t-shirt made by Your True Nature.
-Look both ways when you cross the road
-Plan ahead
-Stay active
-Eat plenty of fiber
-Spend time in the woods
-Go out on a limb
-It’s OK to be a little nuts!

November Notes

2011-01-09T19:05:00.015-06:00

Sadly, though not unexpected, the middle of November brought the day of a longtime friend's funeral. That horrid cancer cut her life short, but it was a life full of love for the Lord and for her family. We were roommates my senior year in college.
Louise, 1978

B. and I took some time to go to Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge.
On the way there, we crossed the bridge on the left to get from Kansas to Missouri, but it won't be used a lot longer, as a new one is being built. The railroad bridge on the right is still in use.

Those big brown blobs are muskrat mounds, which some of the birds apparently like to sit on.

These deer know they're safe here, even this close to the road.

I thought these reflections were neat.

It was good to have everyone home around Thanksgiving.
K and T fixing something yummy!

Some of the relatives enjoying dessert at B's sister's house.

Our dear Pastor C loves to travel, so in early November she planned a "mystery tour," which one other lady and I joined her for. I'll post about that next time!

: ) ?

Some September/October Stuff

2011-01-09T17:55:00.008-06:00

Seven sweet kittens--do you see all of them?

A.'s prize-winning horseshoe pitching form.

Dahlia and cosmos by the barn.

T and M at her new place

T's first kitty, Spud. Only 5-6 months old here, I think he's going to be a Big cat!

We enjoy having friends over to fly kites. This looks much better if enlarged.
This is what's at the other end of those lines!

Our swing tree in October

Summer Summary-August

2011-01-09T00:08:00.001-06:00

Worlds of Fun

When we bought the tickets ahead of time, who knew it would be the most miserably hot day of the summer? But we still had fun from opening to closing!
Anyone recognize this full row of feet?

Relay For Life

Relay always includes some interesting games.

Mini Maker Faire

Inside a wooden submarine that had really been used!
My husband, oldest brother, and son
It's a marshmallow gun!It works!
Yummy chicken/spinach/walnut/strawberry salad
Niece L. and her family
This demonstration was for explaining the idea of a space elevator.
Don't ask me!
Free Meals
We also continued helping our church fix and serve two free meals each summer month. (once a month the rest of the year) One time we gave a "learn to make a pie" session beforehand, and somehow I was drafted as "master pie maker" and got to lead it. This pie is actually one I made in September. Oh, and when I entered one in a contest in September, it did Not win any prize!

Summer Summary-July

2010-11-10T00:23:00.001-06:00

Fourth of July picnic

Annual quilt auction at the church camp where T worked this summer.

Two mama cats and seven kittens--who cares whose is whose?

B, M, and I went 650 feet straight down to tour
the underground salt museum at Hutchinson!
In addition to mining salt, it's used as a storage vault for old records from all kinds of businesses, as well as old films, and even props and costumes from movies.
If I remember correctly, it's a constant 68º there.

Summer Summary-June

2010-10-15T23:19:00.001-05:00

As briefly as possible, since we're well into Fall now......

June (after the wedding)

Most of the bridal party camped out at our place the night after the festivities.

Helped K and A with the easiest move they'll ever make. They had a few days in the smaller apartment she had lived in this past year, then were able to get a somewhat larger one just across the foyer in the same building!

A wind storm did a little damage, but elsewhere in the county some entire fields of corn were laid flat.

The top of the tree on the left couldn't have landed in a better spot--right on the woodpile!

This small grain bin won't be holding any corn or beans this fall.
Vacation Bible School was a "High Seas Adventure" as the front of the sanctuary was transformed into a sailing ship for the week.

The Big Day

2010-08-14T00:19:00.001-05:00

Time to finish posting about this wedding, don't you think?

(Thank you to my sister-in-law for the photos taken in the sanctuary.)

-Early morning at the church-
The hairdresser blessed us by coming there to save on extra trips into town!

-The girls-

-My two favorite girls and me-

-Filling in some extra time-

-The flower girl fixing a little snack before the ceremony-

-Pastor with B and my mom-

A's mom and I had the privilege of lighting the candles.

-The guys-

-Concentrating on their tasks-

-My dear B, with a serious job to do-

-Bubbles for the newlyweds!-

I just enjoyed the reception, so didn't take any photos of that. The hall was decorated beautifully with navy and bright pink, and included many fresh flowers from B's sister; my brother, P, did a great job of emceeing; everyone liked the photo booth; the food was delicious; and it was a fun, relaxed time with family and friends!

-Time for Mr. and Mrs. to leave the reception-

-But maybe not quite yet-

-At least not without a little help-

Best wishes, K & A, with prayers for a long and happy life together.
We love you!

Preparations, Pedis, Practice, and Posing

2010-07-15T23:47:00.004-05:00

There was plenty to do the day before K & A's wedding. Everyone who was available was recruited to help set up and decorate at the reception hall. I didn't get a good shot of it when we were done, but had bright pink material draped across the middle of every other table, and navy in the middle of the others. We had hoped to have flowers from our garden to use, but the timing was wrong. Fortunately B's sister had plenty blooming in her garden, so she was able to add a vase of fresh flowers to each table the day of the wedding.

This is A's mom cooking pasta for one of the salads for the reception.

All the girls, including moms, stopped around noon for a pedicure session!

I don't think either of us had ever had one before.

Now I have! Kept it on for around a month.

In addition to toes, T had only the tips of her fingernails painted bright pink.

Had to send some of the girls out to bring back pizza before everyone was finished.

Later it was time for the rehearsal.

That was followed by a wonderful supper (thanks, L!), then stopping to pose for photos with the yard art scene created by B's sister.

Showers of Sweetness

2010-06-18T00:45:00.022-05:00

K was blessed with several showers before the wedding, which of course always included yummy food being served!

That's chocolate cheesecake you see here!

After the shower at A's home church, we spent the afternoon making mints. This does not show the actual brightness of the pink mints, and the center ones were white not yellow, but the blue is pretty accurate. With these we didn't dare go any closer toward navy blue.

This homemade apron was a shower gift.

We made numerous batches of homemade ice cream to serve at the reception.

We also made candy for reception favors.

Each guest received a bag like this.

Yes--it took much time to make the candy, print and cut the cards, and fill and tie the bags, but we had some good help with the final evening of work putting together the programs and fixing the favor bags.

Peanut butter, chocolate cream cheese, and chocolate chip cookie dough centers!
Yummm!

A Wedding!

2010-06-14T00:10:00.001-05:00

Did I mention there was a June wedding in our family? I claim that as reason for being AWOL from the blog so much lately. : ) But now, the excuse is no longer valid.

I figured the day would fly by when it actually arrived, and that is just what it did! All of the preparations--planning, deciding, shopping, gathering, cooking, arranging--came together on June 5 when K and A exchanged their lifelong vows before God in a beautiful ceremony in our home church. It was such a joyous time, made all the more special by being surrounded by so many wonderful friends and family members!

I didn't take any pictures during the wedding or reception. Guess that's why you hire someone for that job! (Don't have those back yet.) But I did take them beforehand and once the reception was done. Plus, B's sister graciously shared those she took with us. So.... I'll just use this one photo she took for now, and try to chronicle more in some forthcoming posts.

Turning Twenty

2010-05-18T23:18:00.001-05:00

We celebrated T's birthday (which is today) when we were with her on Saturday.

Happy Birthday, T! We love you!

Time goes by in a blur!

2010-05-16T23:48:00.000-05:00

It seems like we just made the trip across the state to visit the junior college that T. ultimately chose to attend for her studies. But that was two years ago, and now this past weekend we made the trip again, this time to watch as she crossed the stage to receive her Associate of Arts degree.

We went out to eat after the ceremony, then had a slice of cake to celebrate.

Congratulations, T, we're PROUD of you!

Spring Blooms

2010-04-14T23:48:00.004-05:00

I took photos of flowers.
I planned to blog.
It didn't happen.
But when I saw the asparagus was up and ready to eat, there was no doubt that Spring had happened, and I knew I'd better get something posted before it's suddenly Summer!

Related?

2010-03-07T20:27:00.010-06:00

Done! Tomorrow morning, even though I may wake up at 6:30 like the alarm has insisted I do these past six week, I will not necessarily get up right away. Probably should just stay in the habit, but we'll see. ;)

Kindergarteners are an interesting age. Their emotions and words to match are always right there, ready to burst out, whether it's joy, anger, goofiness, hurt, pride, or whatever the current mood brings. For the most part they are eager to please, but need oh so much guidance. I hurt for some of them, all of them actually. By the things some of them talk about, it is obvious that they have been exposed to SO much (not necessarily good stuff) early in their lives. It is refreshing to be around the 5-year olds who are just, well, 5-year olds!
These are a few of the "self portraits" I asked the students to draw for me on my last day with them. The artist of the one in the lower right told me, "The second person is you, and we're both wearing high heels."

I have to share an ah-ha! moment one of them had. A little girl was printing her name, when a lightbulb went on for her. She exclaimed, "I'm related to Monday! My name begins with M-o-n, too!" That kind of comment just makes my day!

Another thing that is a definite "day maker" is getting 22 sweet hugs to close out a long-term job!

A Singing Surprise

2010-02-13T17:41:00.007-06:00

Did I say snowed under? Yep, that's how it's been, especially the last three weeks. I've spent all of those days, except weekends, with 22 kindergarten students, as I've been filling in for a teacher on maternity leave. Three more weeks to go! They're a good group, and I do have a full-time aide, which is a definite blessing!

On Friday, just as we were starting a lesson with them all gathered around on the carpet, we had visitors in the room. It seems that someone had ordered a singing valentine to be delivered to me at school. (a rose and card, two songs by the barbershop quartet, and a packet of chocolate kisses) Several people commented how special they thought that was, and I do agree. : )

Thank you, B.
I love you too!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Now Let It Go!

2010-01-10T00:45:00.005-06:00

Did I really say "hooray" for the snow in my last post? Well, we've definitely been getting it since then, along with major wind, drifting and low temps.

Feeling a little snowed under right now. Don't give up on me. I'll dig out from under everything and post again one of these days!

It's Beginning

2009-12-06T23:31:00.002-06:00

Yep, it's beginning to feel like Christmas.

The nativity scene on the buffet, the inside tree, and the outside lights have been up since Thanksgiving weekend. But hadn't done much holiday-wise since then, until I finally started some baking this past week. I really need to bring the boxes from the attic and start some inside decorating. Hopefully this week!

This afternoon/evening my church circle did our annual caroling, followed by soup, goodies (cheesy, bacon cracker dip pictured here), and fellowship. It even started to snow today! Not enough yet to make driving bad, just enough to make it feel seasonal. Hooray!

I love the huge advent wreath that goes on our porch roof every year. The second candle was lit today. (This photo was from a few years back on Christmas Day, so it shows all five candles lit.)

Note to Self

2009-12-02T13:04:00.001-06:00

Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Last Weekend's Goal

2009-11-24T10:28:00.007-06:00

The main goal last weekend was to help K find a wedding dress. We had shopped a few weekends earlier, but needed this trip to firm up a decision.

Last weekend's goal..... √

The dress is, uh, er, well, it's gorgeous and K looks great in it! That's all I'll say about it now, in case A reads my blog. : )

Here's part of the wedding party shopping party.

Why a photo of this truck? It was just part of the day's fun, as it seemed to lead us a l-o-n-g way across the city!

Oh, Beans!

2009-11-05T12:12:00.009-06:00

We're done with the soybean harvest for another year!

These photos are actually from a couple of years ago, and some were taken by M.

God's Creatures--Chipmunk

2009-10-23T23:45:00.001-05:00

This is my favorite photo from our Colorado trip.

This little guy was sitting perfectly still along the road on our way down from Pike's Peak. We drove past him, stopped, I got out of the car, approached with camera and took a couple of shots, and STILL he didn't move. Obviously, he didn't want to stop the feast he was having, but finally he decided I was just a little too close and disappeared into the berry-laden bush that was supplying his snack. I hope he came back out to finish what I interrupted!

Wow!

2009-10-20T16:33:00.002-05:00

If you don't have time to watch this now (somewhere around 7 minutes), come back later. These girls are awesome!

A New Title

2009-10-08T18:12:00.000-05:00

Early next June I can add "mother-in-law" to my titles!

A gave K a ring on September 18! It's beautiful, and we couldn't be happier for the two of them as they plan for and begin this new journey of a lifetime together!

As Promised....

2009-09-30T00:37:00.001-05:00

.....here are some pictures from the trip B and I took in August. Those of you who guessed Colorado as the destination are correct! But before getting there, we took some of T's belongings out to where she's going to school, then headed to the western counties of Kansas, where the deer and antelope play. Well, in this photo, just the antelope!
Then it was on to the small town, where I lived from almost age four, through the end of 6th grade. One of my best friends from growing up greeted us, fed us and went around visiting parents of some of my former classmates with us.
My other best friend was in Texas, but we stayed at her hunt club anyway!
I liked how the morning sun was shining on my hometown.
Fit in brief visits with a few more friends (including one classmate I had not seen since 6th grade!) Drove slowly around the town and past the house (now in sad shape) that we used to live in, all the while trying to keep up with the images and memories of those long gone years that were rushing around in my head!

Then it was on further west, to Colorado Springs, where we did the tourist thing!
Helen Hunt Falls
Posed with this guy while waiting for our tour of Cave of the Winds.
This is how the tourists used to explore the cave! Notice the smudges where they extinguished candles, after having learned candles don't mix so great with rope ladders!
Manitou Cliff Dwellings
Seven Falls lit up at night,
and in the morning.
One section of the 224 steep steps to the top of the falls.
We hiked on out to Inspiration Point.
Enjoyed a nice dinner at this local restaurant.
B drove the long and winding road, sometimes paved, sometimes not, up Pikes Peak.
Quick, see the view, take the pictures. It's COLD up here, not to mention that I'm feeling a little light-headed! (It really was an awesome view!)
On the way down, saw one bit of wildlife, but will save that photo for its own post. :)

Saw the "North Pole",
but yep, it was Wednesday.
That's okay. We were ready to head home by then, which is exactly what we did!

Technical Difficulties

2009-09-28T18:36:00.004-05:00

I've seriously been trying to post at various times over the past 24 hours, but blogger is NOT letting me upload photos. : (

Please stay tuned. (well, check back later anyway)

Edit: I can't believe this. All I needed to do was mark a checkbox agreeing to terms of service. Duh. :/

The Rest of the Story

2009-09-04T22:24:00.000-05:00

I left you hanging with the August 1 post. And now...... I don't even remember what we did the day before. Let me go check the calendar and see what's there.

Oh, of course! That was the day we (as in members of my Relay For Life team) did a traveling bake sale. It was lots of fun! We loaded up all kinds of goodies and took them to a nearby relatively large town, and took them around in baskets or nice containers to several of the local businesses. We had taken a flyer to those places the day before so that employees would know we were going to be there. The owner of one rather large business had told us what time the workers would be having their break, so we could be there at just the right time. The big, frosted cinnamon rolls that Pat made were a big hit there! In a much shorter time than if we had sat at a table in one location, we found buyers for almost all of the baked yummies!

Oh, and as far as my reference to "Squirrel!"--that's what I say now whenever I catch myself abruptly changing my train of thought, sometimes in the middle of a sentence! I stole the idea from the movie Up, in which the focus of the pack of dogs is easily averted by the mention of "Squirrel!"

Next post--more trip pictures........unless I see a squirrel ; )

Road Trip

2009-08-27T00:41:00.003-05:00

I'll get back to explaining the previous post before too long.

Meanwhile, here are some road photos from some traveling B and I did last week! Can you tell where we were? (No fair if I've already told you!)

2009-08-01T14:35:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we .....

Squirrel!!!

25

2009-07-09T23:59:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday, M!

These first twenty-five years of having you for a son have been great, and we look forward to many more. Hope you had as much fun celebrating today's birthday as you did your first one! (or maybe more--You can't tell by the smile in this picture, but you actually weren't feeling all that great. You were coming down with roseola, though we didn't know it at the time of the party.)
We love you, our Gift from God! --Mom and Dad

The Long and the Short of It

2009-07-07T15:02:00.002-05:00

Quite some time ago, I mentioned that I used to have really long hair. A commenter (Rachel?) said I should post a photo. So, here it is! This was probably about nine years' worth of growth. I cut it over Christmas vacation my junior year of college.

Here I am with the roommate who helped convince me it was time!
(She was right. Thanks, K!)
For the short, here's how it looked the end of May at daughter K's college graduation.

For Janet

2009-06-30T10:57:00.004-05:00

Saved a piece of that famous Brookville chicken for you!

Wish you could have been there to help celebrate the 60th wedding anniversary, but know it would have been a long trip.

Congratulations again, Aunt E. and Uncle L!

meow M E O W Update

2009-06-17T23:13:00.004-05:00

That distinctive Siamese voice is back!

When the vet called Monday, she said it could be that Ching had tonsillitis, so we made an appointment for her to take a look Tuesday morning and probably prescribe some antibiotic. Ching must have heard the plans, because she then proceeded to start to sound a little better, enough that by Tuesday morning, after some debate, we canceled the appointment. By this evening, you can hardly tell that her voice was ever gone!

Quiet as a.......Siamese Cat?

2009-06-12T23:44:00.001-05:00

This is Ching, our almost 8 year old Siamese cat.

True to her breed, she's always been a talker. People who don't know her or her relatives sometimes think she sounds grumpy or even angry. But really, she's usually only trying to have a conversation. It's just that her accent and volume are not like the squeaky mews they're used to hearing from other cats.
Monday morning when Ching greeted me I had to laugh. Her normal tone was noticeably absent. Yep--laryngitis! (I was thinking she overdid telling us all about it while we played ping-pong the evening before.) This has happened before, and she's usually back to her full vocal range in a few days. Well, here it is Friday, and still no voice.Otherwise she's acting normally, but something is obviously not right. I did finally phone the vet, but she was out of the office till Monday. Hopefully by the time she gets back to me, Ching will be trying to add her two cents to the call as usual.
Meanwhile, it just doesn't sound right around here.

Hodge Podge

2009-06-04T00:43:00.000-05:00

Stopped by for a brief visit with Uncle Neil on the way out to pick up T's stuff from college.

The liquid we saw in this truck made some interesting waves and splashes, especially as it slowed and turned.

This cross-eyed buffalo made me smile!

By the time we could mow the grass, it seemed like it could have been baled! And it was cold that day!

The roses were blooming nicely.

Hooray for ripe strawberries! We just don't have enough in our garden.

We do have plenty of cauliflower.

One of four scaredy-cat kittens!

Celebrating.....

2009-05-22T08:27:00.002-05:00

.....another graduation for K.
This is graduation from Kindergarten, May 25, 1993.

Hopefully she'll be a bit more enthusiastic at her college graduation, May 24, 2009!

(Sorry about the tiny, grainy scan of the photo.)

Plans, knowing full well that.....

2009-05-16T00:39:00.006-05:00

..... "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will be established." Proverbs 19:21

funeral to attend
wedding shower to attend
one more day of subbing this year
graduations--K's in just over a week, plus could go to two others
move T's stuff home as she heads to work at camp for the summer
update blog once in awhile : )
get Vacation Bible School lessons ready
water flowers (when it doesn't rain)
update church cemetery database
get the next church newsletter started
Bible study
recruit Relay For Life team

medical appointments
intentional exercise
publicity for church's meal outreach project
music

deal with garden stuff
probably should cook some meals now and then : )

take a summer class, or not
bookwork, always bookwork
housework, always housework

Sorry to bore you with my list. Hoping that getting it down might help me focus and have some accountability. Time will tell what is actually established!

What to Say?

2009-05-11T23:54:00.001-05:00

Official diagnosis--it was a malignant tumor on B's kidney. Notice the past tense. We are trusting that the freezing procedure (cryoablation) completely obliterated the cancer cells. No further treatment is expected, but follow-up will include yearly scans.
He was in the hospital Tuesday-Saturday, glad to be home. Now to get his INR (blood thickness/thinness) regulated, incisions healed, energy back, keep him from lifting anything too heavy, and then to keep him off the tractor for as long as he's supposed to!

Thank you for all prayers past and continued.

Trusting and a Blessing

2009-05-05T00:14:00.000-05:00

Today B and I head to the hospital in Lincoln again, but at least this time it's a planned trip. The time has finally come to zap--or freeze, actually--the tumor perched on the back side of his kidney. Of course they'll also biopsy a sample of the offensive little thing. We're completely trusting that regardless of what it is, cancer or not, the procedure will get rid of all the growth that shouldn't be there.

Another "offensive little thing" showed up in the form of an extra bump at the top of his nose, just above the eyepad of his glasses. The blessing is that since B was already prepping for today's surgery (getting off his blood thinner), our local surgeon was able to excise the nodule in his office last Thursday. The lab report came back that yes, it was a malignant skin cancer. We and the doctor are confident that he removed it all. The area is healing up nicely, but of course there was bruising, so it looks like he was in a fight!

Your prayers are appreciated today and in the days to follow as he heals.

Our trust is in the Lord.

Interesting Tidbit

2009-04-27T23:34:00.001-05:00

Did you know that if you say the word
"gullible"
very slowly it sounds like

"green beans"?

Related?

2009-04-21T23:24:00.005-05:00

The other day I was in a kindergarten class that I hadn't subbed with before. I asked one little boy if he and a certain girl were related.

His answer, "No, we're twins."

Pencil Sketch #2 of ???--Purse

2009-04-18T22:27:00.004-05:00

A Puzzling Situation

2009-04-04T21:52:00.001-05:00

Remember the picture at the end of this post last summer?

My oldest brother, P, asked if he could get a copy of it.
Oh, he likes my photo. Sure!

At Christmas, I received a lovely silver box from him, full of odd-shaped cardboard pieces. He'd had the photo made into a puzzle for me. Just for the record, I did put it together!

The infection wound on B's leg finally closed up! Hoping for most of April to be without any medical appointments, until pre-op stuff at the end of the month. He's scheduled for May 5 surgery to biopsy and freeze the tumor on his kidney.

I'm back to subbing, after taking off from it for the past two months. Already had 3 days last week, and have 3 scheduled for next week.

Our Lenten journey is drawing to a close. Our pastor's weekly Lenten service messages have been based on the hymn, "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded."

O sacred Head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded
With thorns, thine only crown;
O sacred Head, what glory,
What bliss till now was thine!
Yet, though despised and gory,
I joy to call thee mine.

How art thou pale with anguish,
with sore abuse and scorn;
How does thy visage languish,
Which once was bright as morn!
Thy grief and bitter passion
were all for sinners' gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,
But thine the deadly pain.

What language shall I borrow
To thank thee, dearest friend,
for this thy dying sorrow,
Thy pity without end?
O make me thine forever,
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
Outlive my love to thee.

Be near when I am dying
Oh show thy Cross to me!
And, for my succor flying,
Come, Lord, to set me free.
These eyes, new faith receiving,
From thee shall never move;
For he who dies believing
Dies safely in thy love.

Welcome, Spring!

2009-03-20T19:13:00.009-05:00

B and I stopped at a greenhouse yesterday to get a few broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage plants. Ummm, we did that, but I think we brought home more pansies than veggies! So today, even though it was only 50-some degrees, B put out the garden stuff, and we set the pansies out along the south side of the house. (A garden photo would have just showed a row of milk jugs covering the plants.)
T has been home this past week on spring break from her freshman year at junior college 5 hours west of here. She left today to visit some friends before going back. K's final college spring break begins today, but she won't be home until she and a friend do some visiting elsewhere first for a few days.
Almost two weeks ago, B, M and I went to visit my mom for a few days. I was tempted to post a photo of her looking in the refrigerator, from when she was trying to load us up with food for the trip home. I think she'll appreciate this one better!

Thanks for the good visit, Mom!

He's Lost It

2009-03-05T23:12:00.005-06:00

Yep, B's lost it! But that's a good thing. What he doesn't have anymore is the wound V.A.C. They took it off yesterday, and today the UPS guy stopped by to take it back to Texas! The sore isn't completely healed, but is almost there and is so much better than when we started. Now I "get" to play nurse for the next week, changing the dressing as needed.

I think we had record high temps for March 5 here. It was in the 80s! Unbelievable. B planted peas in our garden today.

Happy Square Root Day!

2009-03-03T19:22:00.004-06:00

Sure enough, today is 3-3-09.

(Thanks for the reminder, K! We'll have to celebrate again in, oh, how about seven years and a day?)

March 20 edit: I should have said, we'll celebrate again in seven years, one month, and a day!

Signs of Promise

2009-02-25T23:22:00.010-06:00

No blooms yet like Wanda has in California, but we do have hope of spring!

I know Martha in New York really doesn't care much for these particular birds, but seeing them here headed north is a good sign for us.

The season we began yesterday is another sign of promise for us.

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Hebrews 10:22-24 (NIV)

Progress!

2009-02-13T16:32:00.003-06:00

We're seeing some progress! We've gone in every other day since last Friday to have the dressing for the wound vac on B's thigh changed, and each time the wound is noticeably, measurably smaller! It's certainly not all closed up yet, but it sure seems like we're headed in the right direction now.

Point of information: vac on the machine is actually V.A.C., which stands for "vacuum assisted closure". We sure are grateful that God gave somebody the brains to figure out that this nifty little machine would be just the thing to invent!

Simply Superb!

2009-02-12T16:28:00.001-06:00

Wanda assigned me the letter "S" for listing 10 things that I love.

In no particular order....

Sunshine
Siamese cats--Tang, Ting, Ling, Zing, and currently Ka-Ching!
Scotcheroos, Sopapilla cream cheese dessert, and other Sweets!
Singing to my Savior--"I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have being." Psalm 104:33
Sleep/Sweet Dreams--"In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for thou alone, O LORD, makest me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8
Snowflakes--especially ones that are big, fat, and slow to float to the ground
Starry Skies, Sunrises, Sunsets--"When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast established, what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him?" Psalm 8:3-4
Sweetie, Son, and Sisters (That's B, M, K and T in case you couldn't guess!)
Silliness--there's nothing like getting those endorphins going with a can't stop, can't get my breath, here come the tears round of the giggles!
Sarah Sisters--That would be the ladies of the Sarah Circle I belong to at church. We are known to Study Seriously, as well as engage in much Silliness at our meetings.

If anyone else would like to make a list, just leave a comment and I will be glad to assign a random letter for you.

Man Purse?

2009-02-09T18:33:00.003-06:00

The infection (the redness around a center area) on B's thigh is gone, but.... the center area itself, which had been just a darker area, actually got larger and necrotized (died off) so that it had to be surgically debrided twice this past week. After the last time, they put a "wound vac" on it. This machine totally seals the area, pulls out "stuff" that shouldn't stay there, helps with circulation, and just generally promotes healing of the wound. It stays on continuously, runs very quietly, and is in a portable bag. Imagine B. with a "man purse"! Maybe I can add a picture later. (added Feb. 12) We're told to expect some rapid improvement, though we'll still just take one day at a time.

As to what let the original infection get started, we will probably never know. It could have been a tiny scratch, a bug bite, a superficial blood clot, a tiny ruptured vessel, even an ingrown hair! B's being on Coumadin seems to be a possible factor in how things progressed to where they are now, but again, nothing is really certain right now.

Thank you for your continued prayers. They are much appreciated!

You Just Never Know

2009-01-31T18:08:00.010-06:00

You just never know what the day will bring.

On Wednesday, the 21st, I went to school for a short day of substitute teaching. Soon after getting home, B showed me a small dark area with some redness around it on his thigh, plus he was having terrible chills. We're always cautious about the possibility of blood clots (he's been on coumadin since a clot in 2001), so we called and went to the clinic. The dark area kind of looked like a bruise. Well, our doctor had him admitted to our local hospital, put him on an antibiotic for what seemed to be a virus of some kind, and did a CT scan of his lungs, just to be certain no clot had traveled there. None had!

It became obvious that the area on his leg was an infection, and both the center area and the redness around it continued to grow, despite a change in antibiotics. So, on Sunday he was transferred (M and I drove him) to Lincoln to be treated by an infections specialist. They changed him to yet another antibiotic, and this one (along with tons of prayers from friends and family) seems to be taking care of it. He was able to come home the middle of this week, with a 10-day, 4 times a day, prescription.

The infection was deemed “cellulitis.” We definitely need those prayers to continue so that it gets all cleared up.

Because..... needing to do the CT scan of his lungs turned out to be a blessing. The lungs were fine, but part of his kidneys were also in the picture, and our doctor spotted a small, most likely cancerous, tumor on one of them. Otherwise it likely would not have been found until it was larger and causing trouble. As it is, B’s urologist was able to get a full scan done while he was up at Lincoln. The tumor is relatively small, only one, and appears to be contained. An appointment is scheduled in a couple of weeks, once this cellulitis business should be done, when we’ll talk with him more and see what course of action will be taken.

You just never know.

Pencil Sketch #1 of ???--Shoe

2009-01-18T19:04:00.001-06:00

Priscilla decided to keep a sketch journal, and plans to use this list for inspiration. Sounds like a great idea! I make no promises as to keeping up, but here's a start anyway! And who knows, maybe I can get better at this.

Disclaimer: This and any subsequent sketches are done merely for my own enjoyment; not with any claims of being an artist!

A Couple of Recipes

2009-01-05T10:39:00.001-06:00

This first recipe is similar to GMJ's cake mix cookies recipe. As with them, add whatever baking chips, etc. that you want. For Christmas, I found some red and green striped white chocolate chips to use.

Crackle Cool Whip Cookies
Mix 1 egg in 1 cup of Cool Whip. (Chill.) Then mix with 1 regular size cake mix, whatever flavor you want. With powdered sugar-covered hands, shape into round balls. Dip in powdered sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Yield: 3 dozen.

Pringles and Peanuts Candy
Crush one can of Pringle's potato chips (or approx. 6 ounces of another brand).
Mix with 1 cup of unsalted nuts.
Melt 4-5 squares of white almond bark.
Coat the chips/nut mixture.
Either drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper, or spread out and crumble into pieces.

December Delights

2008-12-25T17:08:00.005-06:00

I told some that I'd try to post more often. So does a third post in December count as more? There were only two each in October and September! : )

December has been full, as I'm sure everyone's has been, just with different activities. Mine has included, in no particular order:

caroling
elementary subbing
friends over for Christmas gatherings
trying (not done yet) to finish end of the year bookwork
singing in the annual Christmas cantata
ice skating--in the barn!
shopping
gift wrapping/gift opening
baking
enjoying family being home
getting together with extended family
church
thinking about (in other words, also not done yet) what to write in a Christmas letter
trying to stay warm
dealing with a flat tire in zero degree weather an hour from home (fortunately for me, B. was along and did most of the "dealing with"!)
blowing out candles and eating birthday brownies
being frustrated with my photo application, that doesn't want to open :0
enjoying Christmas letters and posts from others
candlelight
thanking God for all his blessings
wishing friends and family (that's YOU!) a very blessed Christmas and New Year!

One Talented Group

2008-12-12T23:37:00.002-06:00

Straight No Chaser

Soup's On!

2008-12-09T23:54:00.001-06:00

My church circle, hubbies, and pastor had our annual Christmas caroling/fruit plate delivering on Sunday. Lovely weather this year. No bitterly cold wind. No ice. Hooray! And I think we stayed longer singing and visiting with some of the people, since we weren't miserable.

Afterward, everyone came to our place for soup, snacks, and visiting. Since we were hosting, I said I'd provide the soup, and then everyone else brought whatever snacks they wanted to bring. Now, I always volunteer to make chili for soup suppers, because I know I can make that. But now I was committed, so I found a couple of new recipes and plunged ahead.

The chili was as usual. Turkey noodle soup, with home style (but not enough time for homemade) noodles, turned out pretty good. And the potato soup was definitely thick and hearty, but tasted pretty good, if I do say so myself! I think I'll keep the recipes. Can't believe I didn't take a picture!

Now it's Christmas baking time, with more to come!

Crackle Cool Whip Cookies
Chex Party Mix
Pringles and Peanuts Candy
Chocolate Chip Bars

Come on over for a visit and a sample!

Orange You Glad.....

2008-11-22T19:18:00.008-06:00

that I didn't use all of my orange pictures for October Orange? Here are a few more pieces of orange to try to figure out.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

And now,
if you're ready,
if you're confident
that
you've figured out
what the snippets
are part of,
here are the
complete pictures.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

6th in the 6th

2008-11-15T23:24:00.005-06:00

I've been tagged by Kim.

The rules…
* Go to your sixth picture folder, then pick your sixth picture.
* Pray that you remember the details.
* Post it on your blog.
* Tag 5 others, and leave a comment to let them know they’ve been tagged.

This was from five years ago. It's one of the hamsters that T had, but I don't remember its name now. I know, I know...... it should have been labeled. : / Anyway, this one was quite the acrobat. He had a route that he took over and over that included walking across the top of the cage upside down!

I tag Wanda, Heather, Janet, Cobapple people, and Jerm & Pooks.

His Answers

2008-11-05T20:28:00.000-06:00

"Yes."
"No."
"Not yet."

But how do you know
(without waiting the rest of your life)
if the "not yet" you thought you heard is really "no"?

October Orange

2008-10-25T22:37:00.002-05:00

It's time for another colorful guessing post!
Don't scroll down too fast while you try to figure out what these are!
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8

What do you think? Were these easier than the red ones?

or the white ones?

Should I make the next ones a bit more tricky?

Are you ready for the answers?

Okay, if you're sure...... here they are!

#1--seasonal decorations

#2--cheesy chicken enchiladas!

#3--Relay For Life luminaria

#4--Billiards anyone?

#5--extension cord

#6--the first afghan I ever crocheted--Granny Squares
Thanks for getting me hooked, Connie!

#7--an August Kansas sunset

#8--some of B's scale model implements

Sauce, Sauce, Applesauce!

2008-10-15T19:47:00.006-05:00

You may or may not remember that last year we (and many surrounding us) had NO fruit from our trees because of a spring freeze. But this year is different! So far I've frozen applesauce, apple pie filling, and diced apples. I've also dried many, many apple slices. Next I plan to try to make some apple leather. We'll see how that turns out!
What other ways do YOU preserve apples?

Spinning

2008-09-27T23:44:00.001-05:00

Life is moving right along, but I feel like my wheels are spinning.

Six More Random Facts About Me--Meme

2008-09-09T23:18:00.001-05:00

Kristine has tagged me.
The rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. List 6 random facts about yourself
4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
5. Let each person know they've been tagged by commenting on their blog
6. Let the tagger know the entry is posted on your blog

The random facts:

I really DID practice that song Mrs. Wilmoth re-assigned week after week. I just couldn't get it! (took piano lessons for several years in grade school)
Spent countless hours up a tree. Would sit in the "tree house" (wasn't it really just an old door, or maybe a few boards nailed together?) and read or daydream or "spy" on the neighborhood or make plans in my notebook.
Didn't have a car until after my freshman year in college. It was a Dodge Coronet.
I've played donkey basketball.
I was once kicked by a cow.
I don't know how to pronounce "meme." Correction: I didn't know how to pronounce "meme" until I looked it up here and here

The tagged (if you'd like to join in): Cobapple people, Jerm & Pooks, Janet, grampaphil, KellyinAlaska (here's a way to get that blog started!), any "drawthis" connections who haven't already been tagged
(I'll make links to you here if you decide to go with this.)

One of these things is not like the others,.....

2008-08-30T01:45:00.012-05:00

.....One of these things just doesn't belong!

Ching was curious when I was trying to get a group photo of my teddy bears.

Some of you will recognize the bear at the front and center--that's Fuzzy of course. He's my original and most loved teddy bear. Grandmother gave him to me when I was young, and he went through good times and bad with me. He even went to college with me. That was a traumatic experience for him, as he was kidnapped!
From my dorm room.
By one of my best friends.
To whom I confided every detail of the ransom notes, because I thought my roommates were the culprits!
Grrr! :-)

She and her boyfriend (later husband) concocted the notes from words and letters that were torn and cut from newspapers and magazines.

I had to leave a pan of brownies at a certain tree at the lake as ransom.
They did return the pan.
I don't remember now if they at least left a brownie for me, or if it was just crumbs.
I think it was just crumbs, and probably a note saying Fuzzy would be returned.
He was.
To my dorm mailbox.
With his legs tied together, and his arms tied behind his back with an athletic shoelace.
AND
with a piece of athletic tape over his mouth!
Fortunately he was unharmed!

One or two years later we (Fuzzy and I) roomed with this friend.
All was well until the evening of the October open house.
I returned to the room, boyfriend was visiting, and there was Fuzzy...
in a pillowcase
hanging from the curtain rod
disguised as a Halloween ghost!

The other bears in the first photo have entered my life sometime since I got married.
Some were gifts,
some might have belonged to my girls,
some are memories of relatives, friends, or trips,
and some I bought because they had such appealing faces.
But Fuzzy is still my favorite!

"Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear,
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair,
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't very fuzzy,
was he?"

Just Peachy

2008-08-28T23:41:00.003-05:00

Our friend, Donna, gave us some peaches, so I had a chance to try again. This is more like it!

Live and Learn

2008-08-24T18:02:00.007-05:00

Something funny happened happened on M's birthday earlier this summer. Can you tell what from the photo?Here's what happened.
We had been having a lot of cake, so to celebrate M's birthday, I decided to make his favorite--peach pie. Had filling in the freezer, so that was no problem. I "always" make my own crust, but for some reason had some store-bought ones in the freezer, so decided to use those. That might have been okay for a one-crust pie, but it didn't turn out so good for a two-crust. These crusts were smaller than what I usually make, so there wasn't room for all the filling. Even without using all of it, the filling bubbled over. At least the pan caught it, instead of making a mess in the oven. It was late, I was tired, and I had actually forgotten to cut vent holes or make any kind of design in the top. It didn't look right for pie, but oh well, it would still taste good.
The pie was done.
Time to celebrate.
Put the candles in so we can light them and sing "Happy Birthday!"
Oh no!
Quick, get them out!
Moral of the story--Wax candles don't hold up so good in hot-from-the-oven-pie!

A Golden Journey

2008-08-12T00:31:00.000-05:00

We've been done with wheat harvest for about a month. We're usually done by the end of June, or at least by the Fourth, but this year's weather extended things a bit. Maybe these photos will give you some idea of part of what's involved before you eat that piece of toast for breakfast!

No harvest or planting time would be complete without some repairs to the machinery.
The combine is ready to roll!
A few heads of wheat
can be threshed by hand to get the wheat berries, which make a chewy and tasty (in my opinion) snack.
The reel guides the wheat into the combine
where the straw is separated out, with just the grain ending up in the bin, or hopper, on top of the combine.Then it goes from the combine hopper, through the auger, onto a waiting truck
that hauls it to be stored in bins on the farm
or, it might head down the road to the local grain elevator.
There it is weighed,
sampled,
unloaded either by dumping out the back
or through a door in the bottom of a truck bed,
and then makes its way up to the top of a l-o-n-g leg
where it drops down into a huge storage bin until it is sold and trucked away to be made ready for the grocery stores as pasta, bread, cereal,..... .
This is my favorite photo of the crop.

Kansas wheat--nothing like it!

Catching Up

2008-08-03T23:54:00.002-05:00

I've finally caught up reading everyone's blogs from the past couple of weeks. Sounds like there's a lot going on this summer. Now maybe I can get back to commenting on them and doing more posting here.

B is making progress every day with his new knee. Physical therapy sessions are a great help of course, even if they're not fun.

Here's a picture of the afghan as promised. To see the pattern, you'll probably have to click on it to enlarge the photo. Earned a red ribbon at the county fair with it!
Hope to be back soon!

(Hey, Kelly from Alaska--it was great to see you last month! Let me know if you stop by here.)

100! and a mini-update

2008-07-20T01:06:00.000-05:00

For some of you this is nothing, but this is Post Number 100 for me!

It seems like a long time since I've been here, but guess it's only been a week.
B had knee joint replacement surgery on Tuesday, so that has taken all my time this week. I mostly stayed at the hospital, since it's an hour away, so you can imagine how fun that was! Hey, but I had time, after I don't know how many years, to finally finish the afghan I've been working on. And even sent it with a neighbor to be entered in the county fair. Will post a photo when I get a chance.
B came home on Friday. Everyone told him how bad the early pain would be. Apparently they were right. :-(
To say the least, we're looking forward to the time when he can say that it was worth it!

T's FCCLA STAR event project earned her the chance to compete again this year at the national FCCLA convention, which was in Orlando, Florida this past week. She brought home a gold medal!

K is just about done with her summer camp job.

M works hard on the farm and with his various volunteer interests. (I plan to post wheat harvest photos, hopefully before too long.)

I've missed keeping up reading other blogs this week. Hope to catch up with you all before long.

Tagged

2008-07-13T23:02:00.004-05:00

I've been tagged by Kristina!
Rules: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your Summer. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to.

My seven are--

Dead End-Leo Kottke
The Word-Sara Groves
Any of the "Rainforest Adventure" VBS songs :-)
Whatever is on Tracy's playlist
Be Thou My Vision--hymn
It Might Be Hope-Sara Groves
Anything played on the piano when K is around

I tag anyone who hasn't already been tagged and would like to post a list of their own. Please leave a comment if you do!

July Two's Sky Views

2008-07-02T23:27:00.008-05:00

Rusty & Dusty

2008-06-28T23:21:00.004-05:00

Our county has a community band.
M plays his saxophone with it, and K plays her flute with it when she's home. Anyway, they wanted to encourage more people to get out their instruments, so each evening this week the director had a "Shake Off the Rust and Blow Out the Dust" band camp for anyone who wanted to refresh what they knew about playing an instrument.

So, this week I did something for the fun of it--I went to Band Camp!
Ching listened.......
but jumped up in my face to let me know she did not appreciate the fine sounds of my flute!
I usually send Ching and K.C. to the basement when I practice!

No Way!

2008-06-22T20:14:00.006-05:00

Judi-gmj tells me it's the middle of June. No way!
HOW did that happen?!

There's a chance that getting ready for and putting on the pancake, eggs and sausage breakfast with other FCCLA family had something to do with it.

I suppose it could have something to do with a week of Vacation Bible School. "Rainforest Adventure"--I got to be the song leader again this year--hooray!

Maybe it was all those evenings watching the weather watches and warnings. Both girls were at camp, relatively close to Chapman and Manhattan, when the tornado hit those towns. We were also out of the path here, but we know a student from K's class in Manhattan who lost the roof to his apartment.

Possibly it was those days and evenings shopping for food and supplies, making funnel cake batter and Navajo taco shells, gathering and filling ice chests for cases of pop and bottled water, all for the concession stand we and the other family ran at Summerfest--our small town summer festival one beautiful Saturday.

Making 3 batches of homemade ice cream (two for the youth group's upcoming ice cream social) might have been a factor.

Or it could have been the days the next week baking for the traveling bake sale with the same family, as T and their daughter finished raising funds to go to FCCLA Nationals in Florida in July.

It might have been getting paperwork taken care of for the youth group's YouthWorks! trip. They left yesterday morning, and arrived at Gulf Coast Mississippi late this afternoon.

And maybe it had something to do with keeping up (barely) with laundry, dishes, etc.

No, probably not that last one!

Iris 23

2008-06-22T19:54:00.006-05:00

What a Difference (six months can make)

2008-06-08T22:01:00.010-05:00

December 2007June 2008December 2007June 2008Next time I'll post some close-ups of the different iris varieties B has planted all around the place.

May Events

2008-05-27T00:09:00.000-05:00

T. graduated from high school on the 17th. Mom was here and K. was home from college, so we had an opportunity for a family photo the next day after church.
The next Saturday we played some croquet. (Summer has begun, even if not by the calendar!) Some of the cats were interested in checking out that round thing rolling across the lawn.Sunday evening, when we went to B.'s sister's to grill hamburgers and hot dogs, the sky looked like this.We about blew away when the front hit before we were done grilling! We had to finish inside with the broiler. Their neighbors (who were gone) have a dog who is afraid of storms, so she got to go inside too! She was a very well-behaved visitor.On Memorial Day, we went to a service at the church cemetery. Later in the day we helped take flags down from the military graves, which we had helped place last Wednesday. Didn't get a photo there, but it looked nice. The peonies are just barely starting to bloom, but there were iris.

We grilled again at home Monday noon.B. and M. got the corn planted this month, but there's been too much rain to get the soybeans in. It also makes it a challenge to mow some parts of the yard!

Almost Here

2008-05-13T23:17:00.005-05:00

We're getting ready for T's high school graduation this Saturday, so it's rather busy around here. This evening was the school's academic banquet. Among other things, T was recognized for perfect attendance this year and received a local FCCLA scholarship!

Right now it sounds like the weather might cooperate. Here's hoping!

Proverbs 3:5-6

2008-05-07T22:26:00.002-05:00

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Thursday Thirteen-Spicy Days

2008-05-01T16:48:00.001-05:00

Subbing I've done this school year includes:

Elementary, middle school, and senior high special education
Business classes (accounting, yearbook, computers, personal finance)
Middle school boys, middle school girls, and elementary PE
World geography (sophomore boys)
7th and 8th grade social studies and seminar (study hall),
H.S. weightlifting
Reading classes
H.S. math classes
Spanish
Family and Career classes
English
American History
Kindergarten, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Grades

Variety is the spice of life!

Thursday (a day late) Thirteen-Signs of Spring in Northern Kansas

2008-04-25T23:53:00.001-05:00

Daffodils
Tulips
Green grass
Robins
Yellow forsythia
Gardens being planted
Hyacinth
Longer days
Track meets
Birds singing
Crops going in
Bradford Pear blossoms
TEMPERATURES FORECAST FOR 34 degrees!!!

Yep, it's spring in Kansas!

Thursday Thirteen-of my Favorite Comic Strips

2008-04-17T17:10:00.006-05:00

Calvin and Hobbes
Peanuts
Garfield
Get Fuzzy
Baby Blues
Frazz
Pickles
Family Circus
B.C.
Zits
The Humble Stumble
Kit 'N' Carlyle
Reality Check

Project Progression Photos

2008-04-11T22:37:00.002-05:00

And the winner is.... well,.... "grandpa phil" came the closest, saying the photos in the previous post were "Looking up through the roof (except the shingles are missing) from inside the .... garage?...chicken house? ... not your house, I hope!" Phil, you should have just said house, because yep, that's what it is!

Here's the before picture. You can't really tell, but the shingles had been needing to be replaced for a long time.
Finally we decided on a color--I did NOT want green again, B did not want black. We ended up with "Oxford Grey". The work crew tried to fool me with the sample brown one on top of the stack, but guess what--I can read! : )
The contractor measured and cut many sheets of plywood.
He did a great job making sure everything fit just right.
It was pretty exciting to watch the crew tear off the old roof, clear down to the trusses, on the older part of the house and garage!
Here's a "sky view photo" taken from the attic before the new plywood was nailed in place.
A LOT of dirt came down when the old roof came off, so we had covered as much of the junk, er.... treasures, in the attic with plastic as we could.If a section of the roof wasn't all done at the end of a day, they'd be sure it was covered with heavy plastic, just in case it rained overnight!
Oh, no! There's a big hole in the roof!
Imagine that....... it's just the right size to make a dormer!
Adding dormer windows on the south side of the attic will let in a lot more light up there.
Plus, it should let air blow through to the other windows so it'll be cooler in the summer now.
Ready for a window.
Hold on tight!
Ready for siding.
Now to paint the trim and under the eaves.
Voila! Great job guys!!!

Puzzling Perspective?

2008-03-30T23:02:00.001-05:00

I'll let you puzzle awhile on these shots of some trees.

Hope Is Springing

2008-03-27T23:30:00.001-05:00

Now and Then (25 Silver Years ago!)

2008-03-12T23:48:00.001-05:00

I love you, B!

The End of a Good Thing

2008-03-02T18:01:00.006-06:00

B gave me a box of chocolates for Valentine's Day! I was too busy enjoying them to remember to take a picture until the last one was being enjoyed. I thought they lasted a pretty good amount of time, especially considering I shared with the family!

again..... and again.....

2008-02-27T16:49:00.004-06:00

This is not a trend I like.

Bill's sister, Ruth, died just five weeks after he did. She was my oldest cousin, but certainly not old. As with Bill, I didn't see her very often. When we visited at her parents' home when I was in grade school, I got to stay in her room. I remember pinkness and lace!

Now my dear Aunt Sylva has also left her earthly home. She welcomed us for so many great family gatherings at her place. Soon we'll gather for her funeral service and share good memories; all good. Dear Aunt Sylva.

A Valentine for You

2008-02-14T14:25:00.005-06:00

For God so loVed the world,
*****That He GAve
************His onLy
***********BegottEn
******************SoN
********************That whosoever
******Believeth In Him
*********Should Not perish,
******But have Everlasting life.

---------------John 3:16

Thursday Thirteen - Miscellaneous

2008-02-07T23:50:00.000-06:00

You may or may not know, but it's true that I .....

used to have l-o-n-g hair that went well below my waist.
am a P.K. (Dad was a Presbyterian minister.)
can tolerate dogs as long as they're not yappy and not mine, but I greatly prefer cats--Siamese in particular.
am not a morning person, never have been.
only have cousins who are from two-child families, but Mom and Dad had a third--that's me!
am in charge of putting together our church newsletter four times a year.
was part of a large group that performed song and choreography routines and did community service projects (Sing Out!) for around six years in the early 1970s.
have wonderful organizational plans in my head, but have a hard time carrying them out.
smile about teddy bears, cats, baskets and chocolate!
used to write poetry, with some of it printed in campus publications.
have total confidence that God is leading my life step by step.
taught a combination first and second grade class for six years.
spend much more time reading and commenting on other blogs than I do posting on my own.