Brookers Gather

 I am a bit late getting these Pic's posted but I like to fiddle a bit with my photo's before they are seen by many. You know, crop them a bit if needed and perhaps adjust the light or clarity. So these are the photo's taken this past weekend either at Leo and Keri's place or our pool hall. This was a quick trip, primarily for the Brooker siblings to touch base with each other after the loss of Jo Brooker, Bill's wife. We all miss her.

Barb O'Roake and Jason Brooker looking at pictures of the late Mark Brooker.

The siblings from left to right, Don Brooker, Marlene Kelley, Butch Brooker, Bill Brooker and Leo Brooker.

They all have the Brooker name: Jason, Don, Butch, Bill, and Leo.

Bill, Butch and Marlene

Leo, 'splaining to Bill

Bernard Kelley and Leo.

Carolyn Kelley, Don and Marty

Anna Scott, Keri going after supplies, Marty, Marlene and Bernard

4 handed Cribbage Game

Picture Sorting

 When it comes to photo's I can lose track of time, whether it be taking photos, sorting photo's or looking for photos. The most frustrating one is looking for a specific photo, let's say from ten years ago. When I was holding computer classes I recommended categorizing by years and months and way back when I had more time (wink, wink) that seemed to work for me. These days not so much. ANYWAY...yesterday and this morning I am attempting to catch up. As I was downloading from my camera yesterday, that would be my real camera, not the phone one I ran across this one.

 

Squirrel Chasing

 

Power of Love

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." - Jimi Hendrix.

Vacation

Jason and Laura went on Vacation this past week. And Jason loves to fish.

It looks like he had a very successful vacation.

So don't tell me...

 There's nothin' to do!

Jefferson Iowa Area  Attractions

The Brooker Pool Hall

     Cards of various kinds

     Playing pool on an A1 table

     Trivia on Thursday nights

     Simply the best conversations

Walk around the square in addition to the businesses

     Jefferson Gardens

     Tuesday night Farmers Market

     Mahaney Tower (birds-eye view)

Places to eat

     Peony Chinese Restaurant

     Doc’s Bar

     The Centennial by appointment

     The Twin Shop (ice cream and sandwiches)

      A & W

     Casa de Oro

Greene County Tour

     Spring Lake

     Squirrel Hollow

     The Hill (Golf Course)

     Lakeside (Golf Course)

     Jefferson (Golf Course)

Other

     Jamaica Ia- ToJo’s Bar and Grill ( Huge Tenderloins)

      Paton IA- 209 Main

Good Grief, Gertie!
I left out the Wild Rose Casino! 

The Legacy

Great-Grandfather Butch teaching 10-year-old Great-Grandson Leo how to play pool.  

Latest Photos

 

Hang in There!

When Keri or Susan and I walk on the trail this kitty runs to greet us. Friendly to the extreme and very pretty.

Balloon Flowers 

Texas Wide

Game Changer?

 Last Thursday at Trivia, Glen, one of the regular players brought us a "thing" that he had made. He had watched us play cards after the previous trivia night and we had been using a lazy susan to move from player to player. Glen had made us an easier option and it is a hit. He made it from plexiglass. He said he would make them and sell them to any of us for $20. It works very well and slides easily from person to person around the table. Nearly everyone there said they would like to have one.

I kept trying to think of a clever name for them and came up with "Game Changer".

Here are some pictures of the Game Changer.

Cooler Hacks

Top 3 cooler hacks that will make your ice last longer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_towDY71OmE

Be Cool!

Doesn't get it...

 Butch doesn't get it that he is old. This weekend, we had some faster-than-normal winds and lost a branch from one of our trees. It was a fair-sized branch and he happened to see it go. So we are in the backyard looking over the trees and Butch says, "I need a bucket truck." I said, "So, where do you propose to get one?" For many years in the past, this would not have been a problem. He gave me the "LOOK". I said, "Hire someone." No more conversation...

We did have some weather go through this past weekend. Not nearly as severe as they predicted. I did get a few photos in case everything was annihilated. Fortunately, we had some nice rain and some small branches down. When the wind blows like that I think of it as Mother Nature combing her hair, getting rid of the nits.

Balloon Flowers

My Mom!

 Thanks to my cousin Howard Z. for sending this to me.

Smooth

Mostly, things are going smoothly, leaving big gaps in my blog entries. Well, there are also enough things taking place to slow down my writing time. I know that is a natural part of aging too. What used to take minutes can take as long as an hour these days. And in a talk with my doctor (annual visit) when I was lamenting feeling ill at ease on a bicycle, she asks, How many 80-year-old women do you see riding bikes on the trail? I have to admit there are not many but I would like to be one of them.

I can still walk on the trail and I do. Probably should do more than I do but it takes too long! (See above)

I always have plenty to look at while sitting at my computer. We have baby squirrels literally learning the ropes. I watched a young one trying to talk himself into taking a leap. He finally made it but it took a while.

Just before the leap!

Observation Trek

 I was looking over poems I wrote some years ago. Some things never change, or only slightly change, like going for a walk in the early morning.

Observation Trek by Barbara Brooker

Gray striped kitten washing its feet,

Soda can flattened in the street,

Elbows bent at ninety degrees,

Cooling shade of old oak trees,

Toys stand waiting in the park,

Interrupted breakfast of a meadowlark,

Newly mowed look of a weedy lawn.

Things I noticed close to dawn.

I wrote this while we lived in Cumberland Iowa. Probably 1994 or thereabouts. 

Outside City Limits? Costco? Sam's Club?

 I know it might seem strange but yesterday we were indeed outside the city limits. We thought we might go to Costco and we still might. But ended up at Sam's Club in Ames.

A few weeks ago I gained 1,750 MyPoints by joining Sam's Club for $35. I have been a MyPoints member for nearly as long as I have been on the computer. 1992? or thereabouts. They send me ads in my email and I can click on them or not. I can visit the site or not. If I got behind I deleted it all. It was never a pain and I racked up points just by clicking a few times. It became an automatic thing almost. Every now and then I would redeem my points for money. Just a few weeks ago I redeemed points and added $50 to my Amazon account. So spending $35 because of an ad was a bit unusual for me. I had a motive. In Texas, Costco is close and easy but in Iowa it is not. Sams Club is closer. I am not at all familiar with Sam's Club so we are in a new learning experience. If we are not convinced in a year we simply will not renew.

For those who doubt me, you can look it up but Costco has been in existence longer than Sam's Club and it appears to me that Sam's Club copied Costco's floor plan and operating system. I will not quibble over it. 

Costco's sample system is much more user-friendly. In Sam's Club, you have to sign your name before you get your sample and I doubt that you can repeat as often as you want as you can at Costco. I know, it's a small thing. Costco's system appears more customer friendly to me.

Sam's Club has far more variety in what they carry although we could not find many of the items we had on our Costco list. Overall, on things we do buy at Costco and they do carry at Sam's Club, Costco was cheaper. Sometimes by as much as $3.00.

Gas is cheaper at Costco. The aisles are wider...much wider in Costco. 3 carts wide.

Time will tell.

Older than Google

Advice to old people

I always say I can get up as long as I have a paint can. With a paint can I can get started. I must add I have not tested the theory lately.

Oh ,what a day

 Having quite the time keeping up. Age...it has to be age. Doesn't it? 

An eventful day here. Our neighbors had a bad day. they lost a member of their family...I think.

 I always called him Weird Guy. A few weeks ago another guy came and he looked like Weird Guy, only younger, and thinner. Weird is wandering around your yard, talking to yourself, manicuring your yard with scissors. You read that right. Scissors, sewing scissors. The new weird guy wanders around the yard, talks to himself, and throws imaginary objects in the street. He gave off an aroma of anger in his body language. I called them Weird Guy 1 and Weird Guy 2. This morning there was a news flash that said there was a dead man discovered in Jefferson Iowa on a street near us. It took a while for the info to get sorted out but it seems Weird Guy 2 did himself in. Even the small part I know appears to be a sad story. Mental issues are so hard to deal with and the general public (Me) doesn't have any idea what to do about it, how to help, or even if should we help.

Found

 I finally found a program that can be used to edit photos. I had one I liked on my old computer but then I got mad at Microsoft again and switched to Chrome. It is Photo editor Pixlr-Free. Still getting used to it.

These are "found" pics that I have fixed up.

This one is of my mother Fern whose siblings called her Sissy with her mother who we all called Grandma Z.

And this one is of Sissy (Fern) and her brother Jack.

Summertime Corn Salad

       Summertime Corn Salad

3 cans white shoepeg corn, drained (11 oz each)

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

1 bunch green onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 jar diced pimiento, drained and rinsed (4 oz)

DRESSING

1/3 c plain or vanilla yogurt

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

2 Tbsp vinegar

1/2 tsp dry mustard

Tips

Make sure to drain the corn and seed the tomatoes so this does not get too watery after chilling. Also, this is a forgiving recipe. We forgot to add the green onions. We folded them in after adding the dressing.

Gratitude

 Yup, I am a broken record.

Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.

~Eckhart Tolle

Funny things happen

 Butch came home from the golf course yesterday and said, "A surprising thing happened." I assumed he played well... But no!

To back up a bit, Butch went by the RV place, the only one in town now and he spotted our RV, the one we sold last summer. And he has continued to see it there.

Yesterday he came by and saw a sold sign on it so he stopped in for a chat. It seems the buyer from last summer has a wife who is not well and he determined that they will not be able to use it so sold it to the RV place, which has sold it to a couple in Brainerd Minnesota for 42,500. While talking to Butch, he decided they sold it too cheap, mainly based on how quickly it sold. The Minnesota couple indeed got a bargain. We hope they enjoy it as much as we did. We were quite fortunate when we sold it last summer for a good price to good people. We knew it then and still know it now.

AND THEN, I am still basking in the glow of our gathering last weekend. It was such fun!

AND then, yesterday I read this article in our local paper...

I had been putting things aside for a garage sale at a future date. This was going to be my next project but the more I thought about it I decided to donate those items so I could close the chapter on that book of things to do. I did clear it with Butch and we were both in agreement so loaded them up and took them to the assigned place.

I have believed for a very long time that when your heart is in the right place good things happen to you. "Heart in the right place" translates into gratitude. When you are grateful things seem to fall into place like magic.

Another example: Our ever more good and close friends, Pete and Jerilynn went to the lakes region last weekend to camp for a few days with friends and family. After getting settled in the campground Pete was watching a woman struggle to get an RV parked. So he offered his help which was greatly appreciated. Later Pete and Jerilynn went to a concert and while there received a phone call from the fire department that their RV was on fire. Pete made a quick exit and when he arrived found that everything was under control. The neighbors that he had previously helped had noticed it on the outside of their 5th wheel and had put it out with a fire extinguisher. It was a short in the outside light that had caused the issue. There was no other damage. Usually, an RV fire means it is toast so Pete and Jerilynn were very fortunate!

So go about your life being grateful and helpful and see what good things come your way!

Cousin Liesa Plays Basketball

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy2IssTfhGQ https://www.kcci.com/article/hundreds-of-ladies-take-part-in-granny-basketball-in-west-des-moines/44163893 Here is a picture of Liesa and her bestie, Chris. I know, she does not look old enough to play Granny Basketball!

Myrla's Celebration of Life 2

Myrla's Celebration of Life in Rockwell City IA took place very quickly and it was well done and beautiful. Her second one took place at our home in our pool hall thus giving those who could not attend the first one a chance to attend. There were 22 of us in attendance. We played the video made by Craig Cunningham, a good friend of Myrlas' several times throughout the day. 

My cousin Howard Ed Zimmerle took some very good pictures and posted them on Facebook. You can probably find them on my Facebook page. His are better than mine and when I can get mine "fixed". I will post them.

I feel like I reconnected and made some new friends too. My cousin, Larry Zimmerle, and I had seen each other briefly at his brother, Donald's funeral 8 years ago. But it had been decades or perhaps never that we had set down for a long visit.

It was a whole day of fun visiting and reminiscing. Oh, the stories we could tell! And we did!

I learned that it was my mother who had introduced her brother Phil to his future wife Ruby. My mother Fern and Ruby were friends before the introductions and remained friends throughout their lives, traveling together all over the country after the deaths of their spouses.

I learned that my uncles struggled to make a living after they lost their father while in their teens, trying to put food on the table for their siblings and their mother.

I learned many things. We all left with 'feel good' thoughts in our heads.

Jo Brooker has passed

                                                             Jo Brooker

My sister-in-law, Jo Brooker, passed last night after a nasty cancer battle. Jo's husband, Bill Brooker is Butch's older brother. It has been a long time since we lost a member of the main branches of the family tree. Bill and Jo's son Mark passed a few years back, which was a heavy blow too.

Jo was a strong woman and had a firm grasp on the many aspects of her life, and all of those aspects prospered. She was a supportive wife and mother, a businesswoman, a dog lover, an artist and so much more. Wherever Jo was there was order and dependability. The adjustment to life without her guiding hand will be a challenge.

Choices

In my long-lived life, I have discovered that you can take photos, play games, make sure everyone is settled and happy or you can live each moment to the fullest as it presents itself and concern yourself with none of the above. We had a very good time over the weekend. Enjoyed every minute of it and did not take one photo. I always feel a bit guilty when I don't take photos because it is something I always seemed to do.

We had a very good time with the great grands, Little Leo and Elise. It is always a rare occasion when they are here. We played Golf, the card game as a highlight.

Things have been hopping around here. We are back to one pool table in the pool hall having gifted Myrla's pool table to her best friend of over 30 years. It frees up space in the pool hall, better for people-type gatherings, such as trivia and next week's Zimmerle reunion. The Zimmerle's were my mother's peeps and as youngsters, we knew our cousins from Sunday dinners at Grandma Z's house in Herndon, a tiny little town south of Jefferson about 13 miles. Some of these cousins I have not visited with for over 30 years! I am very much looking forward to it. I plan to really knuckle down and take photos!

These are photos I did manage to take in the last week or so:

The Brooker Pool Hall

The Brooker house and yes the square footage is about the same in each structure.

Chives.

The bike trail where Keri and I walk

Craig Cunningham after getting the pool table loaded. The base with the 4 legs in the air made for an interesting photo.

The Kids

 One of the benefits of having your offspring retire is that we see more of them. To be honest I didn't think of that. The Missouri kids are here for the weekend and it looks to be a busy one. The weekend will include various activities; golf, pool, card games, crafts, and trail walks. Gary is famous for cramming as much into every day as he possibly can. That is not a trait he got from me. None of us see any slowing down in him.

We have been to both Jefferson cemeteries to pay respects to those who have gone before. Turning 80, and losing all of my immediate family members, two of them in the past year has made them more present in my mind. Not in a mournful way but the fondest memories of each of them.

And now for something completely different. Gary needed to do some cleaning on his RV. And Jerilynn needed to clean her RV windows. Both of them lacked the "cleaner" product to do the job. So I shared with them my cleaner recipe that I have used for years on virtually every surface in my multiple homes. 

All Purpose Cleaner

1 C. Alcohol, 1 C. Water, 1 C. White Vinegar, and 3 or 4 drops of Dawn soap. I have more than one spray bottle of this in all of my "homes".