Oak Flooring

We have decided to use woodgrain vinyl planks as flooring in all the house. Two reasons really-1. We do not have enough to do all of the floor and we cannot decide where and how to divide kitchen from living room. Really did not want them divided anyway. 2. We were going to hire a pro to do some patching in the bedroom and they are hard to get and expensive.
So to simplify and be able to do it ourselves we decided to do the whole place with vinyl that has the appearance of wood. This particular project is a ways off yet. But first the existing oak floor needs to be removed and it seemed a shame to destroy it being sure someone would want it. So as I was starting to take up boards yesterday I said to Butch,"I should post this on Craigslist and let someone else take it up." He said, "Why don't you?" So I took a couple of photos and posted it. Free to anyone who will take it up and remove the nails. I have 4 inquiries so far and have told them all it is first come, first served making sure they understand they do the removing. There is about 330 square feet of it. Here are the photos I included.

Here are some other house photos I have taken lately.

Bill Brooker's furnace installation. Thank You, Mr Bill!

Our new electrical entrance.

A general view of things- standing on the south wall facing north. Pocket doors will be installed in those walls that are only studs at the moment. To the left is the bedroom and to the right is the bathroom.

We really appreciate hearing from all of you who are keeping track of us. We like to hear about what is happening with you as well as your comments on our projects.

Lay around Day

Yesterday was a lay around day and it was a good day for it too. Very warm. In the 90's. And we old people wore ourselves out with all the festivities.
Bill and Jo were here for a week and Bill was invaluable in all that he helped us achieve toward our goals on the house. They are now en route back to Arkansas and I am sure they will be glad to get there. A disruption in routine can be a blessing but it is always nice to get home and settle in once again too.
We had a shower last night and with a mere tenth of an inch in the gauge that is all it can be called. We need a two or three day misty soaker.
Well Butch is in the house and ready to start on something and I promised to help so enough for now

Summer fun images | Summer fun photos from the Bell Tower Festival 2012

 All of the Bell tower photos I took yesterday.

Summer fun images | Summer fun photos

Bell Tower Festival

Friday evening we went to the town square to see an Elvis impersonator, Joseph Hall from Lincoln NE. He was very good and quite pleasant to look at. Needless to say he was impersonating the YOUNG Elvis. Then Butch and I walked home in the dark just like days of old.
This morning we walked uptown again to see the parade and the wonderful Art Show held in the renovated All Ability Bike Shop. Here are some pictures from today. I will attempt to choose the best of over 80 pictures taken today.

Bill Morain

Keri, Jo and Leo wait for the parade.

Annie, Dorothy and Toto

Class of '62

Tiny dancer inspired by the music of the...

Town and Country Band

Lucy and Charlie Chaplin

Mr Sorenson

Iowa Farm equipment

Future Farmer

Isiserettes- Drumstick is a blur

The Art Show

Comes to mind

We were blessed with a dibby-dab of rain yesterday morning. I checked the gauge this morning and it did not have a drop in it. Butch and Bill had a long frustrating day getting the AC to work but they finally were successful late in the day and then we enjoyed a scrumptious grilled meal at Leo and Keri's. It also happened to be their 32nd Anniversary. Here they are 32 years ago.

After supper we looked through old family pictures. That is always a fun time. Ran across this one of Butch and I from a long time ago.

 Perhaps early 80's. Now you may want to put a caption on it and I would be interested in what you might say. I may tell you what I think later.

This was on the trail this morning...can you find the bunny?

After our walk this morning Colleen and I assembled her Simple Wifi antenna. And it is working great for her and she is now a happy Internet user.

Butch and Bill made their way to the golf course this morning. Butch said he forgot to take his head. Most likely all the pent up pressure of yesterday.

Butch looks like his dad

Wanna see why we all say Butch looks like his dad? Go to this site: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=91523022

Overpass

Snipped a great view of the new overpass off Facebook this morning. 

Today's Photos

Breakfast Time

Roses on the trail

Daisy Patch

Yucca Bloom

Furnace installation

Busy is as busy does

Butch and Bill are hard at it in the house and making some good progress. I need to get in there and take some pictures but I hate to get in the way. I will sneak in soon and do that.
Cousins Dick and JoAnn Jorgensen and their granddaughter Hannah came to Jefferson to get some grave pictures and that made a nice break in the afternoon. Hannah took some shutters off our hands for her own DIY project. She is starting young taking on projects.
Late afternoon we ventured uptown to the first farmers market of the season and there were lots of goodies to buy including a tasty homemade supper of hamburgers, mac salad, bars and a drink for $5. Can't beat it with a stick.
The weather has been super unless you are in the business of growing crops and then it is a bit more than scary as there isn't one shred of rain in the forecast and we are in dire need of moisture.
So I have fallen into somewhat of a routine. Walk with Colleen at 7:00 AM and then come home to do whatever else the day may hold, like laundry. I REALLY like getting that walk in early. it injects so much energy into the very best time of day.
Butch just told me....
I was supposed to go to a grandnephews ball game tonight and I remembered right up to 5:00 PM and then both Butch and I forgot!! Darn, darn and double darn!!  I didn't even remember late. Butch did. This getting old really sucks sometimes. Back in the day I would NEVER have forgotten. I used to pride myself on my memory. Well those days must be gone.

Busy Sunday and here it is Monday

Butch and I went for a 2 mile walk. My friend Colleen sprained her ankle so she took the day off from walking. But we were back at it this morning. Today we chose the bike trail for our walk and I think we will tomorrow as well. It is a nice place to walk with an even surface and wide enough to walk abreast.
Jason called for Butch to play golf but then a storm brewed. As it turns out that is all it did was brew but they delayed their game until the threat was past. Leo stopped by and visited in the meantime. We got many things thoroughly discussed.
Bill and Jo arrived today from Arkansas by way of Waukee Iowa. Bill plans to help Butch with heating and plumbing installs and then Bill has a class reunion next weekend. Jo was only a year behind so she knows many of the classmates as well as Bill does.
 It will be a busy week for all concerned in Jefferson.
Bell Tower Festival is this coming weekend.

Auction Today

We took a day off from our usual routine and spent the day at a local auction. There were a few items we had a mild interest in so we set our internal limits and settled in. Butch had a nail puller, some clamps and a miscellaneous box of tools that held a few choice items he was interested in. I found a magnifying lamp that I thought was cool and told Butch to go as high as $10.  Butch was successful on his items and he even got mine for $6. When we came home I did a search for my new $6 Eschenbach magnifying lamp and discovered that new it cost $399.61 on Amazon.com! I was gobsmacked as they say. I knew it was a nice one but had no idea it was that nice. The only negative to it is that a smoker owned it and I have been trying to remove that smell with ammonia  ever since we got home  and I can still smell it. I will keep working on it. One suggestion I have heard is to place the item in the sun and now that I have cleaned it thoroughly I may try that next. The auction was fun and as long as I do not go too often it will remain fun. I am still holding off on buying too much until I know exactly where I will place it. And I now have a new rule that It will have to be a very special item to buy from a smoker. That smell is too hard to get rid of.

Butch ordered the windows yesterday and it will take 3 weeks to get them. That is the bad news. The good news is that there is plenty to do until they get here.

Last two

The last two mornings I have been able to get a good walk in by getting up early and walking with my friend Colleen before Butch is up. It really sets the right mood for the day by revving up the energy levels.
Butch is dealing with the details of the house getting things ready for brother Bills arrival to finish up the furnace hook up and maybe other stuff too.
As soon as I finish here I plan to go see if I can help in any way. If it is standing around and watching him think I will return and find something more productive to undertake.
We were blessed with a half inch of rain yesterday. I haven't checked the old rain barrel but I have hopes I can no longer move it around on its pedestal because of the abundance of rain water within its plastic exterior. The earth was grateful for the moisture. When I would dig a hole for something it was dry for a good 8 inches down. I am sure that half inch will only help for a little while.
Till next time...

Gary's Yard Saga

Like a lot of projects this one has gotten out of control. I tilled up the yard in March and added compost. I thought the spring break week from school would be enough time for the project. Here we are nearly June, with a letter from my homeowners association, and I am still far from done. My soil sure does look better but I need to get seed down pronto.


http://youtu.be/TwF4PDzYfiA

I like your last line, Gary.  "I can see light at the end of the tunnel" Whoo Hoo!!

Walk, Laundry and a nap

Arose early this morning and went for a walk out to the Jefferson City Cemetery for a walk with my friend Colleen. There are many untold stories in any cemetery. All one can get is a tiny vignette as you take in the relationships and the dates. You always wish you could know the rest of the story.
 After that pleasant little stroll I returned home and started in on laundry and watering plants. Butch was busy doing this and that inside the house and then decided it was too nice a day to stay home so he went to play golf. I stayed home and took a nap.

Ethan and his mower

Great weekend

Quiet time at home. After the last season in Texas it has given me a greater appreciation of my time here in Iowa.
Sunday evening . We went to a gathering of the "Rebounders" , people from our youth who have left Jefferson and then returned. When we moved here it was one of the joys of our life to find this ready-made family. I would never have guessed that would happen and then to have it be a group we find very congenial is another bonus. We laughed ourselves silly Sunday night.
Yesterday I snipped a bunch of photos from daughter-in-law Laura's facebook page. I laughed when I saw all these fish photos of Jason as our family albums from Lake Panorama are loaded with Jason and fish pictures.

And then I snipped some others that caught my eye.

Elise and her bubbles at her 2nd birthday party

Laura and Ethan

Amanda reading "If You Give a Pig a Party" to Chloe and Elise. Great book by the way.

Can you read Ethan's face? This was at Ethan's 3rd birthday party.

Washed Gary and Susan's trailer

We have been meaning to get their trailer washed for quite some time. It washed up very well. I was afraid the awning was toast but as it turns out it was just very dirty.

New phone

A whole lot of yesterday was spent on learning about the phone. I read tutorials...downloaded apps etc. Just learning how to slide, pinch and tap in a timely manner is a challenge. Being computerized has given me a leg up because they are essentially mini computers but it is also like trying to learn a new operating system. Slow going. Butch says to teach him how to answer the phone, make a call and speak a text message and that is all he wants to know about it. It dings every time a new email comes in and I told Butch he would need to learn to ignore that sound. He is having a tough time doing that.
The kindle app was already on the phone so all I had to do was put my Amazon user name and password in and I have all the features of my kindle on the phone. I always or nearly always have the phone with me so this is VERY handy if I find myself waiting somewhere. I can read a book! I tried it out and it worked very well.
We haven't used the GPS yet but I have looked it over and I am sure it will work fine.
I downloaded Word with Friends but the screen is awfully small. I prefer using the computer for that and reading and answering email as well as browsing the web. But those things can be done on the phone and I am sure there are times I will use it for that.
I tried out the camera and it is a great improvement over the other phone camera. I took a picture of myself... I am always shocked when I do this. It is a stark contrast from how I look and how I think I look. Oh well, Father Time is not kind. I can get Picasa on the phone and that should help the transfer of pictures from phone to computer and vice versa. See?, I am not done fiddling with the phone. Every bit as time consuming as setting up a new computer.
The battery in the phone seems to go down very quickly. I have hopes this will improve, thinking it is all my fiddling with it that is making it drain off in a hurry.
This too shall pass...