"Oh Rusty Boy" (not Oh Danny Boy...lol)

Look at my grumpy boy!! ha! ha! I said "he looks like a grumpy old man.." 

But look at him, once he got home, he was a happy camper.

Sorry this was from last year, but couldn't pass on it. smile... You did deserve to see him in all his glory!!! He did go to the groomer last week, but she didn't get his pictures put up and after all it is St. Patrick's Day today!!!

So sorry I have been among the missing...life has been hectic or maybe a better phrase is "delightfully busy"! I had been so busy working on the quarterly newsletter and finally got that out!! Yay!!! It always feels so good to finish it all up and sent off!! (Wouldn't that be terrible if they ever ended up shutting down the postal service???) I'm always signing petitions to keep it going!!! I love sending and receiving letters and cards-what a sad day that will be if it ever happens.

I've been having Bible Study (The 40 Acts) here every Friday, that has been such a joy for me!! I miss the fellowship, which is so important for a person. 

Afterwards my son came over, I had some errands to run. We were busy returning another dog bed, that didn't work for Rusty. I got a different one 'again', I just think it would help his arthritis if he'd lay on that during the day instead of the floor. But it's going to take some persuading I'm afraid.. Lots of treats maybe??

 When we finally got home Randy thought he lost the keys to the van...

I would never have found them...but he did!! Do you see them?? As he brushed by the bushes they pulled off his pocket and stuck in these bushes. Do you see the round circle (must have been a shadow on my camera lens), well their hanging just up and to the left. Their black and silver!! smile...

 I had a list as long as Santa's of things for Randy to do when we got home! (Mommy do's, as I call them.) Take stuff downstairs, bring stuff up stairs, change a light bulb, water a hanging plant, change the time on a clock and hang it back up, dump garbage, dump papers...and pick up Rusty's poop!!

 What a blessing he is. God has been so good and blessed me so much!!

My daughter and her husband have been vacationing in San Francisco this week. She sent a text this morning that they were taking a ferry to Sausalito, but first they had to take a trolley to get to the pier. She sent a picture too, (but I can't figure out how to save it on my computer), anyway, she said they were packed into the trolley like sardines...and by the look of the picture she was right!!!! Unbelievable!!! 

Hope everyone is well and that you had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!!

More to come...I promise!!

Touching the Clouds

 Tom is still working very hard and getting stronger every day. smile.. Today was the first time I have not gone to see him.. (kind of sad..) I missed him, but I did need some time to pay bills and just lay around and do nothing...smile.. His sister did have lunch with him and I talked to him on the phone, so that helped. (I knew he was okay..)

 



My son and his wife are on vacation in Colorado, she posted this picture on FB. with this comment! smile..

 

Touching the clouds! Randy conquered his fear of heights to drive the (unpaved) Old Fall River Road through the Rocky Mountain National Park and take in this gorgeous view from an altitude of 11,796 feet! So proud of him!

At first I couldn't believe they really were touching the clouds....but they were!! How amazing is that?? I know I've seen them out of an airplane window, but the fact that you can stand on this earth and actually touch them, is almost beyond my imagination!!!  

 

They saw the Chasm Falls..so beautiful... And walked the trail (soon being short of breath..I forgot about the heights doing that to a person!)

Look at this winding road, with drop offs on either side. I know they would have had to blindfold me and stuff me in the trunk to get me to the clouds....hee..hee..hee!

 

I am so happy for them, just to get away and enjoy a new adventure!

 

Tomorrow morning, my friends come. Sherry will do the cleaning and Diana will fix my hair!! smile.. Then I'll go see my honey this afternoon. Our weather is changing, the last couple days have been Indian summer like . Warm gentle breezes, putting a desire in you to go for a ride, to spend your time outside, basking in the warmth of the day.. I miss my Tom, that would have been something we would have done. (I know he misses not getting out too..) I did run to the doctors the other day and got my 'flu shot'. Have you gotten yours yet? I was a little sore yesterday, kind of achy also. But am sure today will be much better. That day, I knew Tom was in physical therapy, so ran out there, got my shot, (by then it was about 1:30 or so). So I drove through Mc D and got a "Big Mac", (I know they are terrible for a person..but it tasted so good...as I was starving by then!!) smile.. I pulled into a parking lot and ate my sandwich!!! Then off to see my honey with a chocolate shake in hand!!! A much needed reward for all his work!!

 

Hope you're having a good week, and thanks for stopping by. I will let you know how the meetings go this week.

Missing My Family..........

Sunday after we got home from the Art Center, I  was tired so stayed in the house and rested. While outside...Ashley was busy for a couple hours taking some graduation pictures of Amanda! I was thinking, in our back yard??? However..she found lots of props and I think these are great pictures!! What do you think???  And of course I also love the picture of all three of them!! smile.....

After a busy day yesterday...we met with family last night for dinner and a nice visit!!! smile... Isn't God wonderful to give us the love of families????

This morning for breakfast Ashley made us some banana pancakes with chocolate chips! Yummm they were sooooo good! Papa said he wasn't going to let them go home...that Ashley could just call her fiance and tell him she had been kidnapped...in Iowa...smile.... 

However, they packed up and our daughter in love picked them up to make the  hour plus drive to the airport in Omaha. But with all the flooding, detours and traffic, they missed their flight, so are staying near the airport and will fly out bright and early tomorrow morning... I do know that God has a hand in all that happens, so I  am reminded of my old saying "everything happens for a reason"....  Please pray for their safe trip home tomorrow...smile...

Our house is so quiet tonight and we miss all of them sooo much! I'm sure you've all had this feeling and understand...

Blessings..

Don't you just love spring???

Spring brings flowers which I love !!!! We got these today!!!!

We headed off to the Farmers Market this morning...it was slow, not too many vendors yet. Of course it is early to actually have much produce! There was rhurbarb (which I have at home) and radishes (which we don't eat, especially the big red ones.) So we got some homemade bread, and chips and salsa! Tom got a couple tomato plants (which I didn't take a picture of) while I bought some hen and chicks!! (love them!) and plan to put some in my new poka dotted planter! We also got some farm raised  hamburger, which we will be having tomorrow for dinner!!!! Yum...can't wait!!! We did some other running...mailed some packages, and ate out! smile...........

We went to Sam's Club and stocked up again on lots of stuff...including paper goods for our South Bottoms Reunion Committee. So the van was loaded for bear....as they say! Our last stop was at the Garden Shop! Don't you just love the name of the shop "Gracie Mae's Garden"???...Well, I loved the plants just as much!! Funny...our van was so full...and I wanted this planter...so said I'd carry it on my lap...as you can see in the lower left picture above, I could hardly see out the van's window...smile..........

Earlier in the day I found this 'snip n gro' planter...don't you just love it too??? All kinds of lettuce in a collander??? And all this for $5.00!!!! I just couldn't pass it up....smile.... If we don't eat a lot of lettuce from this I will still just love my new collander!!!! smile.....

We also got these two other BIG plants to put in our whiskey barrels!! Tom hopes to get them planted tomorrow before the rain!!! smile.... It is so fun to start planting again!!!! Glad you let me know about your plants that are blooming in your area. Now what are you planting?? Flowers or garden vegetables?? I'd love to hear!!

Hope you have a blessed evening...

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"The Many Thoughts of Grace"

September 16, 1936:

I was sick when I got up this morning. Threw up, stayed in bed till 10:00. Got a letter from Dorothy. She is engaged! Washed bed clothes. Mama went to aid. Ruth was over. Daryle and Madeline brought mama home from aid. Talked to Harold, he is sick too.

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more as it happens..........

Warmer day...

Just had to post this picture of Rusty..he is so cute when he's up on Tom's chair..just loves to sleep up there with his dad!! smile... 

Caught this one of the snowbird on the wheelbarrow...........isn't he just cute?? 

And then this one of the snow covered plant, with the 'cute' bunny tracks running across the snow.... smile... 

Well nothing 'cute' about this...just a shot of our lantern covered with snow... it won't be long and we'll be using this lantern for what it's meant for.. summertime.... awwww........

Warmer today, yes--it was a whopping 23 degrees!  I hope your weather is improving too....

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"The Many Thoughts of Grace"

July 28, 1936:
I pumped Bernadine on her bike down home this morning. Did the washing. Bob, Raymond and Paul went over in the hills. Hear Melvin didn't get a job in packing house. Bill J. was here tonight.
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The lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my god is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold♥  Psalm 18:2

(My granddaughter Amanda posted this on FB tonight)

more as it happens..................

47 Years ago today.....

I shall never forget this day... We (my mother, grandmother, grandpa Neil--seen above, my husband, 18 month old son and myself) were on our way to Missouri to visit relatives and have our 5 generation picture taken. The news of the assassination of President John F Kennedy came over the radio. It was such a devastating day...and put such a damper on our celebration of all these generations coming together. You can see below from generation to generation! From 18 months to 85! While we were in Missouri we celebrated an early Thanksgiving and as you can see Grandpa Neil is carving our turkey. Don't you just love the apron he is wearing?? What blessed memories......

We were at Aunt Lucy's home, she is the one who gave Mom the infamous diary that we are enjoying!

Front row: Great Grandma Lillie, Randy, Grandma Gertie

Back row: Me and Mother Grace.. 

Today we went back to therapy. I really feel like I hurt worse than before she worked on me:(  Afterwards, we went over to a business complex where they have this man made pond and geese and ducks fill it year round! It was so fun to watch them!

Tomorrow we will be going to the grocery store and buying everything we need for our Thanksgiving dinner!

"The Many Thoughts of Grace"

May 31, 1936:

I got up this morning and told Sadie it was 7:30 when it was 6:30. Went to S.S. Had ice cream and pie for dinner. Supper wasn't so grand either. Raymond came and got water, came back and offered to ride pony. Didn't go to bed until 12 as looked like storm. Sadie and I did some adventurous things.

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." John F. Kennedy


more as it happens..........

First full day of Fall..thinking about our virtual vacations....

Not sure what your weather is like where you are, but it is Fall here, however even though it's rainy and overcast and looks cool (just like a typical Fall day), it is very warm and humid... Ugh...

Virtual vacation...you say! As many of you know, since I have MS we aren't able to travel too much or very far. However, I have a 'dear..dear' cousin and her husband who share their trips with us! This just makes me feel so special...to go to the mailbox and see a card from different states and countries..It's almost like being there..~smile~

Just look at all the places I have virtually been... and there are more.........

The latest one..we received this morning in the mail from a Historic MichieTavern in Virginia! "A wealth of traditional-charm to early American taverns. The very words create an atmosphere of candlelight, graciousness and hospitality. At Historic Michie Tavern, ca. 1784, just below Jefferson's beloved Monticello, the pages of history are turned back more than 200 years where a striking portrayal of per-Revolutionary life may still be observed."

What a wonderful cousin she is.. We have lots of beautiful memories we have shared over the years. Especially when we were young...as we spent several summers together.

Wonder where 'we' will be going next???? ~smile~

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" Psalms 107:1

more as it happens...............

My daughter's family vacation pictures....

Today I thought I would like to share with you pictures of my daughter and her family on their summer vacation this year at Panama City Beach, Florida..

Tod and Brenda enjoying some of the fun things at the beach!!!

Ashley and Amanda, sisters enjoying each other..........

Amanda having fun...especially at "Ripley's Believe it or Not".


Ashley and Ben enjoying their summer!!

Hope you've enjoyed spending a little time with our daughter and her family....~smile~

They said there weren't any tar balls when

they were there, so they were able to enjoy the ocean!

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph 2:10

more as it happens...........

Our Lakes adventure...

Wednesday we headed to the lakes to visit with our friends and to just get away for a day!! Here is a 'visual' of the trip!!


Our first stop was to get the air tested in our tires...then off to fill up with gas!!


Seems so funny to see the bean fields peppered with wind turbines...generating electricity from the natural source of 'wind'..

Love the farm setting, the crops ares so green with the contrast of the silo in the background!

We passed by this little pond, it really did look inviting! Someone said this picture looked like a painting, which is the effect you get I guess when you snap a shot going down the road at 55 mph.. ha

We noticed this house, it looked so unique and just had to get a shot of it!

The winding road heading out of town...wish the camera could actually capture what our eyes see. It's nice but not as beautiful as seeing it with your own eyes! I thought as we wisk along and saw the grass being freshly mowed how I wish I could share that wonderful smell with all of you. But soon...Tom said 'oh..oh "dead skunk in the middle of the road" and I soon came back to reality and thought...boy am I glad you all can't smell that..

And as we sped by all these cattle..again the smell was not as inviting as the fresh cut grass! I remember someone once said that this smell was the smell of 'gold'..in other words there was money in raising cattle. (not so sure that is true today!)

We stopped at a small cafe in Spirit Lake for lunch! They have the best home style meals. We got a 'hot beef'! I thought to myself..I am my grandmothers grandchild!! :) When we use to travel from our home in Iowa to visit family in Missouri (about 50 years ago) and would stop for lunch. "I" as a teenager always wanted a hamburger and fries!! Grandma always said I should have a 'hot beef' with them. It was so much better for you...etc... So here I am 50 years later ordering a "hot beef"! And of course ...she was right!!!

As we drove through the town we saw this house that I always just loved. When we camped up there and would drive by, I would always just drool over it! Love the fence and the hanging baskets around the beautiful porch. {Note the color of the house...it's YELLOW and you all know what my favorite color is!!}

We stopped to check out the spillway and it was running through very fast. I tried to spot some fish but didn't see any. So often there would be fish being pushed from one lake to the other due to the overflow.

We drove by the camp ground we use to stay at...just to check it out and our friends had just come in from fishing. So we had the wonderful opportunity to visit with them! (Oh yes, they had caught some perch!) They are really good fishermen/women!! :-)

Then we went to another little town where we camped for years, to visit another dear friend. Helen will be 93 in December and is still going strong! Her and her husband (who passed away a few years ago) were just like our second parents. Absolutely wonderful people.. We all have such beautiful memories of our times together over the years. [note the gal at the nursing home had be lean in to get away from the glare of the window.]

Well, it was 3 o'clock and time for coffee and cookies! I just had to get this shot of those two:)

The lake there is Silver Lake and it too was very full. There was so much snow melt and rain this year all the lakes are full to the brim. The wind was blowing and the lakes had white caps on them. Really didn't see a boat out anywhere.

Wind turbine up close!!

We spotted this beautiful car when we were coming home, in a small town just north of us. Soon we met several more on the highway. Not sure if they were all just meeting for dinner or if there was something going on that night. [My first husband had a car like this only it was blue with a white top.] They were beautiful cars back in those days.

Hope you enjoyed my story of our trip to the Lakes!!

more as it happens.....

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