Butch and I went near a small town in northern Iowa to visit Marlene and Bernard Kelley. Marlene is Butch's sister and she and Bernard have been married longer than we have, and that is saying something! Marlene is also known as one of the world's greatest cooks and she prepared a feast. Roast beef, potatoes, gravy, carrots, and one of my favorite jello salads. Also her famous brownies and a mid-afternoon dessert that I do not know the name of was topped with cherries. All of which was scrumptiously delicious. We played cribbage all afternoon with both the guys and us winning some and losing some. We have always had a good time with them; Marlene and Bernard were our first inspirations for going to South Texas.
We had a great time yesterday. The only planned part was our oldest son Rich coming for a visit. And then our youngest Jason came over from Boone. We four played pool and talked. Then later in the afternoon Leo dropped by, followed by Keri. Lots of fantastic conversations took place. I remember sitting there thinking "I am so happy!". Has that ever happened to you? It is an added layer of happy when the thought happens in process.
This morning I went back to the photo adventures. It's possible for it to never end. So here is some of my meandering... I was manager of a Senior Center in Cumberland Iowa for 14 years. Our small town was fortunate to have access to the Internet early on. I was a big fan! So I started classes in the Senior Center with the cooperation of the telephone company and Netins.
Hop, Skip and Go naked
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
Sometimes it takes work to keep track of the days. I work on it with conscious effort. This is also the Belltower Festival in good ol' Jefferson Iowa. We have attended many of these. Enough so the thrill is gone. Don't get me wrong, it is very well done most years and I am sure this is one of them. It is just that I prefer to watch Mr. and Mrs. Wren tag-team feed their babies. Beer tents, food trucks, carnival rides and numerous vendors...hmmm Not so much.
I am happy hanging out in our cozy house and home doing exactly what I want to do.
Made this Rhubarb Dump Cake. A winner! Crispy on top and yes, I followed the directions. I will admit I do not always the second time.
Rhubarb Dump Cake
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups fresh rhubarb, diced (about 1 to 1¼ pounds)
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup water, divided
15.25 ounces yellow cake mix, super moist (such as Betty Crocker)
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with baking spray and set it aside.
In a large bowl, combine the diced rhubarb, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and ½ cup of water. Stir until the ingredients are evenly mixed. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking pan.
Evenly sprinkle the yellow cake mix over the rhubarb mixture in the pan. If necessary, gently spread the cake mix to ensure it covers all the fruit evenly.
Drizzle the remaining ½ cup of water evenly over the layer of cake mix.
Carefully drizzle the melted butter evenly over the water and cake mix layer.
Bake the dump cake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until it turns golden and bubbly.
Once baked, remove the rhubarb dump cake from the oven and allow it to cool on the counter for 15 minutes before serving.
Prep Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 45 min
Total Time: 50 min
Very good. Nice and crispy on top.
My sister passed away a year ago, the one to pass that left me last standing in my immediate family. I have been working with old pictures for weeks now thus causing me to think of her and many of the rest often. Here is Myrla. Today is her birthday.
Today I am getting ready for tomorrow. I am getting a haircut at 4:30 today- Trivia at 6:30. Also getting ready for the guy to come wash windows tomorrow. In addition, Jason is coming over today, after golf, to work on the dirt disturbed by the folks getting water back in the pool hall. Bored yet? Just checking.
Tomorrow windows washed! Hurrah! Always a good day. Of course I have to get ready for him. Like getting the excess dirt vacuumed from the sills, curtains down and washed etc.
Butch's birthday is Sunday and son Rich is coming to see us Sunday afternoon. I plan to make a rhubarb desert, a favorite of both of them.
Tuesday we are traveling North to see Marlene and Bernard. We will be delivering the vanilla we purchased for her in Mexico.
In between time and in the meantime, I am still working on photos, new and old.
Like these: Jason, the most artistic one, made these walking sticks after visiting us in Colorado while we were work camping at Snow Mountain Ranch YMCA of the Rockies. There is a plentiful supply of Aspen there that inspired him.
I am making progress with all I wanted to get done this Spring. The Zimmerle Gathering is set up for July 6th with every one of the cousins I can think of notified.
The picture ordeal is partially under control. At least it doesn't look like the mountain it has in the past. I will share some with you further down the line.
We dropped off a load of "excess" at the Goodwill in Boone yesterday. I like that facility because they make drop-off so easy.
The first of the season Trivia has begun. It was good to see all our trivia people again.
Keri and I have been walking most mornings. Rain seems to be a constant interference. It is in the forecast for later today. We haven't missed very many days without at least a sprinkle.
My latest read is The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary. Warning: If you have empathetic issues this may not be for you. It brings tears in places.
I told Butch this morning I have too many irons in the fire. And I do but it is all fun.
I have intentions of planning 2 events this summer and attending one. 1. I am planning another Zimmerle family gathering. 2. A square dance reunion. There are not many of us left but it still takes a phone call or two. And Butch's brother Bill turns 90 this year and there is a reunion/celebration planned for him that we look forward to going to in August.
I am still working on the photo reduction episode. I found more photo's yesterday which will lead to some slide shows. 1. Our remodeling of this house 2.Our stint work camping in Michigan. 3. My favorite pics from my photographic collections.
In addition, Butch and I plan to tackle the old garage, getting rid of stuff and organizing it more practically. And I have been slowly going through every drawer and cupboard in the house, cleaning, discarding and donating.
If we accomplish all of this it will be a productive and fun-filled summer!
And then...Yesterday a woman contacted me through Ancestry.com and she is a long-lost relative. I can't really say she was lost because for me she was never found. To make this as short as possible; My father was born a Van Horn but adopted at 3 months of age. His birth father was a twin. The woman who contacted me was the other twin's connection. I know, it was confusing to me too. We are now corresponding. In all of this, I find that I am related, 2nd cousin, to a woman who lives here in Jefferson and I know her!
So hang in there with me! I have doing this blog for nearly 25 years but will continue...
Butch has a never-ending battle with squirrels. I won't let him shoot them with the BB gun but now all he has to do is cock it and they scatter. I have bought him one of those feeders that spin the squirrels off. It will get here near his birthday. Appropriate, right? This morning I looked out the window and there were 3 squirrels on one ball feeder!! Butch is going to get great satisfaction in watching them fly when they get spun off.
Now this! I found my major recipe box that has been missing for a couple of decades. First recipe in the box, right up front, like you know, you put it back in the front instead of where it should go? Anyway, here it is and it will be on the menu within the next week or two.
I found a 4th tub of pictures and it was the 'motherload' because it contained the best of the rest. So I am still at it. Now we have two tubs we will be burning. So if you wonder why no posting has been happening...now you know!!
Tried this last night and it was a hit!
Simple Skillet Supper
Ingredients
14 oz. kielbasa sausage sliced into about 1 in. slices
1 tbsp. oil olive
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1 can pineapple chunks
1 cup rice jasmine
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. apple cider vinegar
2 cup vegetable or turkey broth
Instructions
In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp. oil on medium heat.
Saute kielbasa, onion, and green pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, allowing the kielbasa to brown on both sides. Remove from heat.
Add rice, pepper, salt, brown sugar, soy sauce and vinegar. Stir well until the spices are completely mixed in.
Add broth. Return to heat, turn to high, and cover with either a lid or if you don’t have a lid that fits your skillet, cover with a large piece of foil.
As soon as it comes to a boil, remove the covering and stir, turn to low, and cover again.
Simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is done.
Garnish with parsley or cilantro for extra flavor, and serve.
It does something to you being in your 80-decade. My friend Mickey went through all of her pictures distributing some and disposing of the rest and after mulling it over she is on the right track. I have 3 tubs of photos and other memorabilia. And that would take someone many hours to go through and the many decisions connected with that could be overwhelming. So I decided to tackle the process. I have been saying that for many years but today I took action. I am one tub down and being ruthless.
I found some things I cannot yet part with. 1. Christmas letters from 1985 to 1999 when I started doing them on the computer. 2. My baby shoes. 3. 40th Anniversary scrap books(2) I made at that time.
Jason brought me a Mother's Day gift that knocked my socks off! It is something I have looked at, liked, and longed for but too tight to buy.
Now Jason has the ability to make one of these himself and he did add some features. He bought it from a friend and got the friend discount. And it has lit a fire under him to do some of this art that will be "all Jason". I have been waiting for him to do this!
While Jason was here he looked at the scrapbooks I had made around the time of our 40th anniversary and he said they needed to be kept. And they will.
Starting the process of deciding what is left after I/we are gone has become a new project and I am excited about it. I am looking forward to the extra space it will provide. I like to be a minimalist and when the clutter bit starts to take hold, it lights a fire under me!
On my walk today I took some trail and tree pics but they can wait till the next post.
My baby shoes...
It was 50 degrees this morning and I decided it was time to take the bull by the horns and get out on the trail. I am listening to an audiobook and the weather is beautiful. Walking in the morning for an hour gets my day off to a good start. I cannot begin to tell you how many years I have been doing it. Thinking back on it I was not walking when we lived in Nebraska. So it must have started when we moved to Lake Panorama in 1979. Wow! That is over half my life.
This morning as usual I was seeing photos everywhere I looked. Tomorrow I plan to take my camera and do a photo walk. It is different.
Rhubarb patch. A story is behind it. Isn't that always true? When we moved on the property there was a rhubarb patch in existence but it was in a place we had in mind for the RV parking. So we moved it. Of course, we had differing ideas on where it should be located so we each chose a spot. Butch won. Mine didn't make it. Anyone who wants to harvest from it is more than welcome.
H.E.B in Texas carries rhubarb. They sell it for $12 a pound last I looked.
We drove to Massena IA yesterday for a visitation and we visited with people we had not seen for 20 years. Then we enjoyed a tenderloin and fries in the local bar and stopped at an ice cream place in Guthrie Center which is a hidden jewel.
M & L Ice Cream 106 State St, Guthrie Center, IA 50115-1348
Local people are very fond of an ice cream place in Glidden IA and the one in Guthrie is as good or better. Butch had his favorite marshmallow malt and I had a small lemon cone. We were both happy.
Another part of the trip was the Iowa countryside. We seem to forget how green it is. We both grew up here so maybe it is just us but the green is so green it kind of hits you in the face when you haven't seen it for a while.
And then...A classmate of mine,Toni Roberts, posted on Facebook and I just had to save it. For me, today, it is the perfect reminder of the "luxurious" life we live.
On the same day, we found out about two deaths of people we were close to in our past.
Butch worked with Marty Mills for nearly 19 years. They kept the lights on in a big part of southwest Iowa during that time and they enjoyed playing golf. Marty had a very distinctive, big, and booming laugh. When something tickled his funny bone it was not a secret. A friend I worked with for many years, Connie Jones, told us about Marty's passing.
And then shortly thereafter she told us about another friend who passed, Bev Gunderson. Bill and Bev Gunderson were a big part of our social life in the years we lived in Cumberland IA. I met Bev on ladies' day at the golf course and we played together regularly including in tournaments on other courses. They joined us for square dance lessons and then regular dances. On top of that, we played in a bridge group with them.
Both of these people were such a part of our life that the memories came flooding back two-fold.
We will be attending services for both, Marty's is tomorrow and Bev's is on Saturday.
Before Trophy, we were in another park for 18 years. I kept up with numerous blogs in those years. It wasn't easy and I have only the original that I have been consistent with.
A friend, Deon Spangler, has kept up with the one we had in the former park, Magnolia Park. ( https://magnolianews.blogspot.com/) The only thing that has remained the same in that park is the location and the blog. I checked in with it this morning and then added a post to the blog.
The story of Magnolia is a sad one for all concerned. It has become a family "village" and doesn't even remotely resemble what it used to be. The people who loved it have moved on to other parks and made a new spot for themselves.
And our life is different now. We sold the motorhome in 2022 and yes, we miss it at times; like the trips down to SouthTexas and back. Time marches on and it is impossible to ignore it. It seems the right time to make the necessary changes happen in such a way that you were guided to it and know the time and place were meant to be.
Now we are mostly settled into our summer home. We removed last Fall's leaf drop yesterday, filled the bird feeders, paid all of the April bills and even played some pool. Butch was a bit distracted allowing me to beat him one game. I think the times I have legitimately won games from him are now at 2!!
Waiting for it to warm up a bit and get these tornado-laden storm events to slow up so Keri and I can get back to walking the trail!
Happy hour in 2023! Butch and Paul Kelleher had just returned from the Senior Valley Olympics with their first-place medals for the doubles Pool.
We arrived home last Thursday and have been peddling hard ever since. This morning as I write this I feel we are about three-quarters settled. Since this is the weekend the last quarter will have to wait till Monday as they involve the courthouse, insurance payment, tax info etc.
It feels good to be back even though I wish for slightly warmer temps so a morning walk is not a decision. The leaves on the trees seem to be a bit ahead compared to other Iowa Springs.
Geez!!! I just noticed I did not get this finished and published in a timely manner!
Sorry about that! Will publish this one and start a new one.
We will be leaving tomorrow morning sometime heading to our humble abode in Jefferson Iowa. Keri has done whatever is needed to get the water hooked up and the refrigerator plugged in. It is so nice to have those things done so we can get on with the task of getting settled in.
We have had a nice visit with our Missouri family. Last night we all ate at the local Mexican restaurant. The food was great and the prices were typically low. After all, it was Taco Tuesday!
Leo played cribbage with both Gary and Butch. He recently turned 11 and he learned how to play cribbage last summer sometime. It had been a long time since he had played but those who know him will not be surprised that he picked it up quickly. His name has gone from Little Leo to Lucky Leo as he counted out some high-quality hands.
Elise works as director behind the scenes in theater productions. Being a stand-in is but one of her many talents. She remembers all of the dialog from all of the parts. This too might seem quite remarkable to some who don't know her but to those who do know she has been doing this most of her life. Even as a toddler she would lip sync with the kid movies she watched. Elise will be turning 14 next month.
It is always fun to watch them grow.
We left the RGV early on Sunday morning and 500-plus miles later we stayed overnight in Mineral Falls TX. Up again bright and early we had another 500-plus miles to Peculiar MO. Both days were smooth sailing and without incident. We are at the Gary and Susan residence and we will be until Thursday morning. We will then be on our last leg to Jefferson.
If you have the opportunity to enjoy one-on-one time with your grown children and their spouses you will know how much we are enjoying our couple of days here. As I write this I am listening to Butch and Gary playing cribbage and grousing with each other. It is a tradition.
It is also remarkable how different topics of conversation seem to come from nowhere; some about the good old days and some current happenings you do not think to share while on the phone.
So we will soon be back in our summer home doing what we enjoy in the summertime. Till next time...
We can almost hear our neighbors breathing, it is that quiet here. We are doing a little each day to get ready for take-off. This morning we went to a restaurant named Biscuits and Gravy. Butch was certain it was his kind of restaurant. He liked it. I am partial to my own, thankyouverymuch. Although it has been getting to the point where I do not have to cook it, it is a very good restaurant.
After breakfast,we went to the pharmacy to pick up some eyedrops for Butch. We were too early so we went to the DonWes flea market to kill some time and time was already dead! Most of the vendors were gone so we stopped at Walmart and looked around a bit.
When we got home Butch had a sudden streak hit him and we made a dent in getting our outdoor chores done.
I briefly wondered why he was in a toot until it dawned on me; this is Masters weekend. Now it is most likely not much will move until Monday. In the past, I have made the mistake of booking our stops going north on this most famous of weekends. I won't do that again!
Till next time...
I met Sherri on the golf course and we quickly became friends. Our husbands were also friends and a big part of our lives in our Cumberland/Atlantic Iowa years.
Sherri's occupation was offering the very best daycare for working parents. She was and is top-notch. When I shopped in Atlantic I would stop by her place and hold a baby for a while if I was lucky.
Today I saw her Facebook entry and asked if I could share it with you.
Time is creeping up on us. We have 1 1/2 weeks before takeoff. Today is Dermatology day. When you reach a certain age, it seems that you and a dermatologist are going to become well acquainted. And the more time you spent in the sun the more true that will be. Butch's line of work as a lineman and his offtime as a golfer sealed the deal for him. Being fair-skinned, all it took for me was the golfing years.
Tomorrow we will be going to Mexico to see our longtime friend Hector, get a pedicure, lunch at Jessica's, and load up on vanilla! We do enjoy these trips.
As we get closer to departure we will be concentrating on the many steps it takes to be ready. We have done it enough times now that it isn't scary but you cannot get too comfortable. Make lists and don't lose them!
See you soon our northern friends and family!
Happy Hour can be interesting. Today we were talking about jicama and none of us knew what it looked like above ground knowing that the part we eat is the root of it. This photo is the above-ground look of Jicama.
Jicama growing plants have green lima bean-shaped pods and bear clusters of white flowers 8 to 12 inches (20-31 cm.) in length. Only the tap root is edible; the leaves, stems, pods, and seeds are toxic and should be discarded
Even though Butch and I no longer have an RV life we still look in on the RV Newsletter. We have enjoyed it for so many years. It has lots of RV info of course but also many other articles of interest.
This one may not interest everyone, in fact, Butch said he didn't want to know.
The number is not the focus.
https://www.rvtravel.com/169-years-resolutions-1090/
The writer of the article says she has 16.9 years to live according to a chart. My number is not that high but I will be okay living one day at a time!
There is a list of things all of us "older folks" ought to be fixin' to do.
I was reading the police report for our hometown and these 3 entries made me think "Only in Iowa". Living in a small town can be such an adventure!
1. "Mrs unnamed" of Jefferson reported a loose cow in the 1200 block of South Mulberry Road. The cow’s owner was contacted and removed the animal.
2. An Officer was dispatched to the 100 block of East BLANK Street for a squirrel having bit a person. The Officer caught the squirrel and it will be sent in for rabies testing.
3. Mr. Unanmed of Jefferson reported a person walking in the 300 block of North Elm Street not wearing shoes. The Officer checked the area and found no one in need of assistance
Trophy Garden and our neighbor park, Winter Ranch are looking like ghost towns. Usually, when Renie and I go for our early morning walk we see plenty of people doing the same...but not now. Easter happened. I know from years of experience that many people use Easter as the compass that heads them north. This was an early Easter this year with it falling on March 31st. So I looked up when it will be next year and it falls on April 20th in 2025. So we will have the company of our peers for a little longer next Spring.
The kids will be arriving back home in Missouri today. They had fun in south Texas. Speaking of fun; last night Butch and I watched a Netflix Documentary called 'Birders'. It was about birding in the South Texas/Mexico area. We recognized most of the places they were featuring. It was filmed in 2019 but that was not a factor that took away from the enjoyment.
You can find it by going to this link (https://www.netflix.com/watch/80244682)
We are birders but on a casual basis. We give this a high rating.
PS: The Alamo Inn featured in the Documentary is across the street west from the El Dorado!
Even though I have been a follower of Thundercloud for more than 2 decades I sometimes pass over their newsletter. I didn't do that today and I might want to put my hands on this one. Butch's computer is sometimes erratic with the internet. https://www.thundercloud.net/infoave/new/a-usb-wifi-adapter-may-be-a-quick-and-easy-fix-for-your-internet-woes/#google_vignette
Alamo Texas- See that tiny red dot on the bottom?
Would you like to know more about it? Check it out here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alamo,_Texas#Geography Some interesting facts : if we headed in a straight line south we are 9.1 miles from the Rio Grande river, our elevation is 82 feet above sea level, our population has more than doubled since 1990. Current population is 20,958. Enjoy!!
Our Missouri kids are here for a visit. Gary and Susan Brooker, Amanda Teeter and her two children, Elise 14, and Leo 11. We all have been busy. Yesterday we went to South Padre. Butch and I are familiar. We used to go down at least once a season and walk the beach, and eat shrimp at Dirty Al's. Covid changed many things and this is one of them as we had not been there since before covid. Maybe once with Renie and Alex but I do not remember specifically what year that was.
The kids love the beach so that is basically what we did. They have gone back today to do a bit more besides the beach.
It is all about FEET!
Butch and I dressed for the sun but we forgot to protect our feet so we are struggling with sunburned feet.
Pic of the kids on South Padre: Gary, Elise and Leo.
