Happy New Year!!

It looked to be a nice day so we decided to go for a drive. Can you tell by the photos where we ended up? Cabelas, our first visit. It was a busy place to visit on a nice winter Sunday, but interesting.

Our exciting event of the day was watching the snow geese fly over our house this morning, flocks of them. We weren't ready with the cameras though!

Have a safe and Happy New Year!!!

A walk in the woods

We had a fresh inch of snow fall early this morning, so after breakfast with friends at the golden arches, we went for a walk in the woods. It turned out to be a short walk as it was colder than we thought 25 degrees with a wind chill. We didn't feel the wind at home! But it was pretty anyway and we weren't the only people out for a walk in the woods, I think they were hardier souls tho and they did the distance.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true. Alfred Lord Tennyson

A little more Snow

Where's the treats? I thought I was going to catch all four but Squeakie decided she didn't want her picture taken today.

Hope everyone had a nice Christmas. We did. We went out to breakfast after opening the few gifts we had, then to the casino to see a movie and hit the slots for awhile. The movie was Charle Wilson's War, it was good. Tom Hanks always does a good job.

Today we were invited out to lunch with Ken's old work buddies, that was very nice.

We both are alittle under the weather today, we have the chills. Hopefully, it's just the change in the weather again. We are to get alittle more than a dusting of snow tonight. Our street was just beginning to be safe to drive on! Maybe this little bit won't of snow won't bother them.

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardens who make our souls blossom. Marcel Proust

Merry Christmas!

Snow Again

This is a little watercolor I did today. A little Christmas spirit I thought, it could end up as next years Christmas card if I remember it then.

Another weekend of bad weather, it's snowing and it looks like we could get over a couple of inches this time. It's a good day for Ken to make his annual cheesecake for his family's Christmas get together. Hopefully the roads will be OK by tomorrow afternoon.

What happy faces do we see.

Their cares forgotten everyone.

This is the way it ought to be

From dawn until the set of sun.

These blessed days of joy and peace

Be decked with wonder, set apart,

Through all our yeas will never cease,

If we keep Christmas in our heart. Grace E. Easley

Out in the crowds

We received this cute ornament in the mail today. It is a little overexposed, I decided to see if I could download a photo straight from the camera. I can but I guess it is not a good thing to do.

I thought it ironic to get this ornament as we went down to check on the progress of the repairs. They have it done and it looks good. Now we have to wait for the insurance adjustment before they let us have it. I wonder how long that will take. But anyway the repairs are done, just alittle Christmas present for us.

We hit an early movie first, we saw Sweeney Todd, it is very good and it got better as it got bloodier. Johnny Depp does a good job singing in it! Check it out if you like musicals and don't mind some gore.

On our drive home after stopping for a late lunch, we hit the traffic. I haven't seen so much traffic out on a Friday afternoon up north ever.

Let us have music for Christmas...

Sound the trumpet of joy and rebirth.

Let each of us try, with a song in out hearts

To bring peace to men on earth. Mildred Jarrell

Sunday out & about

Here is the latest of my watercolors, 7x9.

The roads were OK this morning so we went to Perkins, hadn't been there for breakfast for several weeks. They had something new on the menu gingerbread pancakes and I like to try new things and they were delicious.

Ken wanted to see a movie so decided to see the Golden Compass, it was a bit long but as it got going it got better. I looked at the book at Borders after the movie, it's a big one and has two sequels. I usually find the books better than the movies, but I'll just think about them for awhile, I already have a long reading list.

I had thought about going to the funeral but the cold and questionable conditions and probably late start put a negative on that.

Still trying to learn how to use the laptop and scanner. I usually take the easy way and use the desktop and camera. I hate having to ask Ken how to do this and that, I even have a hard time remembering what my notes mean.

The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common. Emerson

Christmas a little early

Christmas was a little early for me as Cheryl and I meet to exchange gifts. She gave me a wonderful bottle of Freixenet, a sparkling wine, my favorite. She is so sweet and thoughtful. When I got back home there was a box waiting from my brother which contained two bottles of Buffalo Blush wine from Little Swan Lake Winery in IA. I believe we are set for the holidays. It was a nice day to get out and about. Now to see how correct the weather men are going to be on guessing how much snow we will have by Saturday evening.

Here is a photo of my grandmother and aunts. The lady hiding behind my grandmother on the right is the aunt who just passed away. AnnaMae, Evelyn, Anna and Alice missing is Laura

Oh, heart, let's never grow to old

To smile anew, when Christmas comes,

At tassels red and tinsel thread

And tarlatan bags of sugar plums. Nancy Bryd Turner

The Sun is still there

Well, the call I was expecting came at 7:15 am. I wish I didn't live so far away from the old home place in times like this.
When you're frightened, don't sit still, keep on doing something. The act of doing will give you back your courage. Grace Ogot

I caught our neighborhood squirrel this morning, he is the main reason we go through so much seed. We put out the corn for him but his taste is of the sunflower variety.

It's been a week since we've seen the sun, what a difference it makes too. The ice will almost be gone by the end of the day. It was fun to hear it creak and crack and boom down it would fall, or maybe it was just tinkle tinkle but we had to watch over head when we went out walking.

Tell me and I'll forget;

Show me and I may remember;

Involve me and I'll understand.

Chinese Proverb

A Winter Wonderland

We have a winter wonderland if you haven't lost power or major trees. We did have another branch break off our pine. We have been entertaining ourselves by watching the birds, Ken goes out to feed them several times a day. The roads were good again after our dusting of snow melted off them. So I went on my walk and took my camera, then we went out for our McRibs.

I've started another book, Educating Alice, adventures of a curious woman: by Alice Steinbach. Alice travels all over the world taking lessens on various things, so far we've taken French cooking lessens in Paris. I think this will be a fun book, we are starting Japanese cultural lessens next in Kyoto.

I have an aunt who is seriously ill now, she has been in and out of the hospital for several months now. She is 89. I am so glad I got to visit her in Oct. So the next phone call could be bad news.

Here is todays watercolor. I have gone to a smaller format 5"x7", they take only an hour to paint usually. Pomegranates, how do you eat them without the seeds squirting you.

I treated the cats to their pot of grass today, now I will have to start a fresh one.

Living in the present tense means living like a child, or as I had come to define it, living in the purity of the ticking moment. Alice Steinbach

Ice storm

Here is my daily artwork for today. Still need to work on those ovals.

The ice is pretty if only you don't have too much of it. We were lucky again, no power outage, but they were not so lucky north of us in St. Joe. So far we have had only a branch from our pine break off. The temps were warm 32 so the streets were fine. I walked around the block and we went out for lunch.

Then when the first snowflakes begin to come down,
And the wind whistles sharp and the branches are brown,
I'll not mind the cold, though my fingers it numbs,
For it brings the time nearer when Santa Claus comes.

Good News

The good news is the doors are in! We went down to put more antifreeze in the motorhome and found it in the shop, they were starting to work on it. So we left it as is.

We then finished shopping for Ken's grandkids. I believe he is done.

I decided I needed to practise scanning and putting it on my blog. So here is yesterdays drawing. I have a problem getting the width of cups right. Must practise more.
Even the common articles made for daily use become endowed with beauty when they are loved. Sotsee Yanage

Our first Snow

We've had our first snow, it's about 2 inches and I hear we could get more tomorrow. I tried to get a cardinal at our feeder here, I forgot to photoshop it, sorry. We went for a walk this afternoon most of the 2 inches had fallen, we watched several cars and trucks try to get up our hill. They were stuck until the city truck came by and helped out with some sand under their tires. It was nice to walk with the snow falling in our faces. I hate to admit it but I rather like snow, if I don't have to drive in it.

Here are some photos of my projects. I did the watercolor yesterday, decided I should practise painting or drawing every day. This was in reference to the www.parisbreakfast blog I enjoy visiting, she does similiar watercolors and I love her photos.
I see I need more practise with ovals.

I have also decided to finally do something with all the little bow tie blocks, my grandmother started them and I made many more they are hand sewn together.

I have made them into a nine block and I will hand quilt from there and then sew the quilted blocks together. I hope it works. I am not a quilter, I just enjoy keeping my hands busy and me away from the refrigerator.

I am still working on my knitting too.

I know I said I wouldn't be blogging as often, but I changed my mind, it just won't be everyday. I'll share my daily art ( if I do some) if you don't mind.

The arts are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practising art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr

Red Hat Christmas Lunch

The Red Hat group I belong to had their Christmas lunch and gift exchange today. We went to the Pink Rosebud Bed & Breakfast in Plattsburg. The house was built in1878 and is beautifully restored. The couple served us a wonderful meal. You may be able to pick me out of a couple of these photos and next to me is my bf Cheryl. We had a beautiful day the sun was shining and the temp was about 54 degrees. A few of us hit the antique stores downtown Plattsburg.

I have posted a photo of my Brazilian friend Sonia and her husband Antonio and one of her sons. She has another son visiting Paris at the moment.
We have finally learned each others e-mail so we can communicate more easily. What a small world it has become! She is even able to read my blog. I was an exchange student to Rio and her family was my host family for 3 months.

Cheryl is my friend that has taken me with her on several trips to Europe when she was a travel agent. What good times we had.

I've started a new book; Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck, it is his account of a trip across the US he made in truck camper in 1960 with his dog Charley. There is a couple who have just made the same trip in his wheel tracks, I have read part of their blog.
There are as many worlds as there are kinds of days, and as an opal changes it's colors and its fire to match the nature of a day, so do I. John Steinbeck

Sightseeing Thurs.

Yesterday we got out and did a little sightseeing in Independence. We went thru the Marshall home and jail and Vaile Museum which is all decked out for Christmas. Beautiful! It was a very interesting tour, Ken really enjoyed it.
I decided I should learn to use the laptop so I'm posting on it and downloaded my recent photos from Thursday on it. See if I remember how to do that the next time, it is a little different from the desk computer. I think I've already forgotten. I need to write the instrustions down.

The weathermen are calling for a little ice tonight, I hope very little. The towns around us are having their home holiday tours tomorrow it would be nice if the weather was nice. I was thinking it would be fun to go through Orricks then maybe visit Ken's brother who lives near Orrick but if it's nasty not a good idea.

Sharing what you have is more important than what you have. Albert M. Wells Jr.

Life

Well, we heard from the bodyshop, not good, still waiting on parts could be two more weeks. So we are thinking the RV should be fully winterized and unloaded. Then after it is fixed we may store it for the winter, so there goes our warm winter plans. It's rather timely that I get this inspirational newsletter on line today "Remember long, long ago, when you were considering living the "Potential Adventures of Jules", among an infinite array of other choices, how you suddenly turned to me and asked deadpan, "How much trouble could I get into, anyway?" " Well, how did they know!
I finished reading the I Hate to Cook Book, only cookbook I'ved read cover to cover. I was wondering if some of these products are still on the shelves such as canned Welsh Rabbit and a popover mix.

Since we don't have alot of news to pass on for a while and we probably won't be doing much, I will be posting less often maybe only once a week. "Every 'for sure' I've know in recent months, I've had to abandon because life keeps getting in the way." Oprah Winfrey ( This is the quote I got on line today from the quote of the day.)

Is it Saturday?

Does this little kitty look cold? Spoiled maybe.
Correction on yesterdays post, the name of the site is grab an Apron, reached by going to jerryandmartha.com/yourdaily art.

Not much going on, one day runs into the next. I have been working on my Christmas cards, the list seems to have grown this year so not everyone gets a handmade one. I got out my Christmas CD's I enjoy listening while I write. I had forgotten where I had put them so it took a couple of searches.

Oh, yes, congratulations goes out to the Lawson football team for winning Missouri Class 2 state title.

There's is a microsopically thin line between being brillantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap... Cynthia Heimil

Happy Thanksgiving

Our rural ancestors, with little blest,
Patient of labour when the end was rest,
Indulged the day that housed their annual grain,
With feasts, and off'rings, and a thankfull strain.
Alexander Pope

What a difference a day makes! It's snowing and it sounds like it could stick and we may have a half inch by tonight.

Just would like to wish all you who read my blog a Happy Thanksgiving!

What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving? Erma Bombeck

A Summer like Day

The last two days have been just beautiful, temps in the 70s, but tomorrow brings a change to winter I fear. We even took out our bikes to enjoy the weather.

Tigger spotted this little snake outside our garage today while we were sitting outside. The first I've noticed around our house.

I'm reading a new book, for me anyway, called I hate to Cook Book by Peg Bracken, it was big in the 1960's I guess. I read an article or two on it in the paper and thought that sounds interesting so I sent for it, a used paperback edition that cost 50 cents then, I paid a little more for it but oh well. It is a humorous reading cookbook and I am learning a little, and maybe I'll try a recipe. I really don't like to cook, clean up or shop but that's another story.

Here's a couple excerpts;

When you hate to cook, you've no idea what size your saucepans are, except big, middle-sized and little. Indeed, the less attention called to your cooking equipment the better. True for me.

These recipes have not been tested by experts. That is why they are valuable. Experts in their sunny spotless test kitchens can make anything taste good. But even we can make these taste good.

Speaking of cooking, incidentally, and I believe we were, one of its worst facets is grocery shopping. When you hate to cook, a supermarket is an appalling place.

So true, so true!

So you are probably thinking we are going out for Thanksgiving, I did too, but Ken bought a ham and a few of his favorites so I guess he is cooking ( I'll clean up).

May you always have love to share

Health to Spare

and Friends that Care.

Movie Day

After breakfast out with friends and a nap, you can tell it was a little chilly can't you as Ken needed an extra fur blanket as he napped, we decided to see a movie. Ken had been wanting to see Lars and the Real Girl and it wasn't showing near us anymore so we drove to Kansas. Then in the middle of the movie the fire alarm rang and we all left in a nice quiet orderly fashion, then turned back in to finish watching the movie. False alarm. It's a funny funny movie, yet sad in a way, maybe I was just in a sad mood. It was worth the drive though. Here's the blurb about it:
A Heartfelt comedy about a loveable introvert name Lars whose emotional baggage has kept him from fully embracing life. After years of solitude, he invites a girl he met on the internet to visit him. When he introduces Bianca to his brother and sister-in-law, they are stunned, Bianca is a life-size doll, not a real person.

Live every day with enjoyment we don't know what tomorrow will give us.

I'm glad the cats still enjoy their carriers!

Almost Here

The big turkey day is just around the corner and cold weather may arrive with it.
We are still waiting, we haven't heard anything about the parts, but we are still hopeful,that it won't be long.
So we haven't been doing much, just a few odds and ends that seem to pop up. We may be looking into a new phone and computer server as our current hiked up their prices.
I had a nice surprise in my e-mail, an old friend from Brazil sent me a message. It was nice to hear from her. We had lost contact over the years and I thought I should try and reconnect.
All it took was a letter to mutual friends here in the states, as it turns out they are going to Brazil in January to visit. Wouldn't that be fun!
The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately
without growing apart. Elizabeth Foley

The waiting

We had good news Monday, the doors and trim could be in Friday or Monday. Let's hope Friday!

I decided to do a little playing with some paints and this is what happened, the Autumn Sisters.

Does everyones computer look like this, think one visits the golden arches too often.

There is a very fine line between hobby and mental illness. Davy Barry

Family

A little this and a little that

It was a beautiful day to get out and about. I cleaned out the last of the flower pots, the frost had finally hit the lantana plants. We've had these plants for 3 years but since we thought we may not be around to take care of them this winter to just let them go. They were getting alittle big to handle anyway. I cleaned up a few flower beds too and this little mantis crawled out.

Our tree out front is pretty now, I didn't know if it would be colorful or just dull after our dry summer but it has been a beautiful colorful fall.

We then went to a local craft show and I picked up some handmade potholders and a Christmas ornament. We also enjoyed a piece of homemade pie and an apple dumpling.

We then went to gather a few things out of the RV. The manager said they would know next week when they could get new doors. I crossing my fingers that they will be available and shipped next week.

Then we checked out our local art crawl, didn't expect much and that's what there was, not much, at least we supported our community by going.

Tomorrow is Alisha's funeral. Sad so sad.

My nephew, Chad, won an award as district kicker, although they lost the last game. He played with an injured knee that last game and they lost in overtime. So they had a good season. Good work Chad!

People talk about the meaning of life; there is no meaning of life--there are lots of meanings of different lives, and you must decide what you want your own to be. Joseph Campbell

When life's problems...

Wow, we had a beautiful sunset tonight, I had to rush out and get a shot of it.

This is our new retirement clock given to us by our financial lady here in town. We can now keep track what day it is.We don't need the exact time anymore as we don't really have to be anywhere at a certain time. How cute is that and how sweet was she.

We had a bad news call today from Ken's sister-in-law, Ken's niece died yesterday she was only 24. They are not exactly sure what was the cause, but they think is was a combination asthma and pain medication for wisdom teeth she had taken out Mon. You never know how long you have on this earth! This is the third niece of Ken's that has died young, one was murdered and another committed suicide. So sad! So we will be going to a funeral sometime later this week.

When life's problems seem overwhelming, look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself fortunate. Ann Landers

Were it not Folly, Spider-like to spin
The Thread of present Life away to win-
What? for ourselves, who know not if we shall
Breathe out the very Breath we now breathe in! The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam