And then it...

 ...was the third travel day from the Winstar Casino (The Inn) at Thackerville OK to the Linder residence at Canyon Lake TX. Oklahoma roads leave much to be desired. No matter where we are if we encounter a stretch of bad road we say they went to the Oklahoma School of Roadbuilding. Texas has good roads, always has.

It was a smooth ride to Canyon Lake, and it has been a great time getting all the news about people we mutually know with Terry and Lisa. We found out they will return to the Rio Grande Valley in February, staying for a month at Alamo Rose. We also have friends Sherri and Sam coming to the valley in late March for three or four days with us in Trophy Gardens.

My Butt: It does seem to be getting gradually better. It doesn't bother me to sleep at all. Tylenol Extra Strength has become my new best friend. I can stand and walk without pain, but sitting is another ball of wax. Jason told me that a guy he worked with who had an injured coccyx was that way; he could stand at work all day but sitting was a problem. I don't have proof but I do think that is what I am dealing with.

To back up a bit, we stopped in Mineral Wells, Texas for breakfast yesterday and we asked a woman on the street where would be a good breakfast place. She said "Happy Days Diner" and she was right! They had a senior menu with $8 meals and we both had an omelet. It was perfect in every way. Mineral Wells was a thriving city in the past with a huge hotel. They are doing their best to revive their town, much like Jefferson IA. I did think Jefferson could do a thing with a Barbie theme. Most of Jefferson was shocked to find that "Barbie" was such a draw. A Barbie themed restaurant would be great if we could get it off the ground! That and staying open on weekends.

We like to take HWY 281 to get to South Texas and it has been newly refurbished. What a smooth ride!!

Next stop, the Rio Grande Valley either Thursday or Friday.

Unexpected Occurrence

 The guys, Gary and Butch, played golf yesterday so the rest of us went shopping, after which we went to the Teeter residence for supper and to see the new addition to the family. 3 goats and five kittens!

Amanda, Leo and Susan with the goats, Buffy, Bob and Billy.

Buffy

Billy

All three!

And here is Butch with three of the 5 kittens.

 

And then I fell! We were headed back to the house and they had a big cement step to get on the patio and the back door. Leo tried to help me but I fell backwards onto the ground and hurt my butt. It was immediately painful, but I am doing quite well with ice packs, hot packs, and Tylenol extra strength. In my Fall checkup, the doctor asked me if I had any falls in the past year and I happily told her 'No'. I can no longer say that. I have one more day that I can baby the injury and then I will have to figure out how to travel in the car comfortably. It will be FINE!

Tough to Keep Track

 For instance, I had a visit from a long-lost cousin of mine on my father's side. My father was adopted at 3 months old by Sam and Anna Brock, mainly because his mother, Pearl Beason Van Horn passed away. My birth grandfather was a twin, Walter Van Horn. His twin brother was Wesley Van Horn and my cousin Denise Bush is in the Wesley line. We had a great visit Denise and I. She had arranged a visit to the museum so I went along. We learned that southern Greene County was a big coal mining area and 5000 people called SOUTH Greene County home at one time. Our great uncle, Billy Van Horn led a rescue mission with his sled dog Buddy to get supplies to the people in the southern part of our county during the famous blizzard of 1936. 

We then bopped out to the cemetery and I showed Denise where Pearl Van Horn was buried. I learned a lot on that serendipitous day!

My intention a few days ago was to share the above information. 

Today is "last minute get ready to leave" time. We have the Pool Hall all tucked in for the winter. Foodstuffs are whittled down to nearly nothing. Karla and Devon stopped for a visit last night and that helped, along with the fact that we had not seen either of them for a long time. It was good to catch up.

I am doing laundry on clothes and bedding today. Butch has nearly all the things he needs to do before morning done.

Internet will be off and on for us until we arrive in South Texas and that might take a full week. So till next time!!

Hectic

 It has been a hectic two weeks, with some appointment or task on every one of the days. But the day of departure is close.

Yesterday Butch needed to get another cortisone shot in his leg. We went to Ames IA for that, after which we met up with Jason and Laura. Watcha Smokin in Luther Iowa was where we went for lunch. It was our first time there and it was packed! Luther is a very small town and one would never imagine a waiting line in a small Iowa town on a Tuesday! We were told it would be 20 to 25 minutes. Their parking lot was full to overflowing and after we were seated a tour bus pulled in. When going to a new restaurant, especially a busy one it helps a great deal to go with people who have been there and liked it. It was one I would gladly go to again. I had brisket (fatty) mac and cheese and cole slaw. Cornbread is served with all meals. Jason and Laura suggested the fatty brisket.  Fatty Brisket is what I will always order in any brisket place! It makes a world of difference in taste and satisfaction. I was never fond of brisket before, too dry, tasteless and hard to chew.

Just for kicks and giggles I looked up the population of Luther and it is 147!

After lunch we meandered through the Ledges State Park. It is peak time for leaf color and the Ledges are always special! We had a discussion about the name and here is what I found:

Ledges State Park is named after the prominent sandstone ledges that tower above the Des Moines River within the park, which are a result of glacial meltwater carving through the rock, creating a series of distinct horizontal cliffs throughout the area; essentially, the "ledges" are the defining geological feature of the park.

Till next time!

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"If"

 If I don't write a post when I think of it, things can surely get out of hand. We have made great strides in getting ready to head South even though it probably does not appear as such. We have our boosters done. Covid and Flu. We have notified the water guys when to come turn off the water. I have our temporary address change taken care of...almost forgot that one! I do have a list to go by but I haven't checked it yet. For those of you who have never been through this process for multiple years, there is a fine line in getting ready. We don't want to get it all done too soon because then you sit here with nothing to do or worse yet you might "undo" and then "redo" a number of times and that is not fun. So we inch along with it and we are Right on Schedule.

Today Butch goes to see the podiatrist and then next week we get our Fall checkup followed by Butch getting another shot in his leg and then we should be done with appointments. This part of the departure has become different as we age.

I have been filling my spare time with beading, and I can safely say my skills are close to what they were 6 or 7 years ago. It is a great outlet for my creative juices. Planning the next project while working on the current one is a common practice for those who do any artistic endeavor.

These are the last 8 rings I have done and the next one is safely on my planning board.

Starlings

 I had the pleasure of seeing a Starling in full sunlight this morning and what a fantastic picture it was! I didn't catch a photo I am sorry to say. Butch said, "I have never thought of a Starling in that way." So I found this pic on the net but it isn't nearly as pretty as the one I saw. There is some deep purple coloring you can see when they are highlighted with sunlight

Catch me if you can!

 Butch and I are in the getting-ready-to-head South mode. Each year we try to make it a bit easier however something tends to get in the way. I had the plan to take my beading supplies South and that plan remains intact. There was some interest in learning how to bead some rings last season so I am going to be prepared to see that through.

And then I decided to take my Swedish Weaving supplies to sell or donate and finalize that craft I never seem to get back to doing. 

We have a tub marked "Take to Texas" and it has been at the ready all summer. So you see how this can grow. And that is only my end of things. I haven't asked but I do know Butch surely has his list as well.

The pool cues and accessories is a given but that only takes a little space.

This morning as I lay in bed thinking...I remembered I have 2 tubs of yarn that can go too. Oh well! It will be a one-way trip for much of this stuff.

I can hear Butch's low growl when he sees this post. 

Till next time!

The House with Nobody in it

The House with Nobody In It

by

Joyce Kilmer

 

Whenever I walk to Suffern along the Erie track

I go by a poor old farmhouse with its shingles broken and black.

I suppose I've passed it a hundred times, but I always stop for a minute

And look at the house, the tragic house, the house with nobody in it. 

I never have seen a haunted house, but I hear there are such things;

That they hold the talk of spirits, their mirth and sorrowings.

I know this house isn't haunted, and I wish it were, I do;

For it wouldn't be so lonely if it had a ghost or two. 

This house on the road to Suffern needs a dozen panes of glass,

And somebody ought to weed the walk and take a scythe to the grass.

It needs new paint and shingles, and the vines should be trimmed and tied;

But what it needs the most of all is some people living inside. 

If I had a lot of money and all my debts were paid

I'd put a gang of men to work with brush and saw and spade.

I'd buy that place and fix it up the way it used to be

And I'd find some people who wanted a home and give it to them free. 

Now, a new house standing empty, with staring window and door,

Looks idle, perhaps, and foolish, like a hat on its block in the store.

But there's nothing mournful about it; it cannot be sad and lone

For the lack of something within it that it has never known. 

But a house that has done what a house should do,

a house that has sheltered life,

That has put its loving wooden arms around a man and his wife,

A house that has echoed a baby's laugh and held up his stumbling feet,

Is the saddest sight, when it's left alone, that ever your eyes could meet. 

So whenever I go to Suffern along the Erie track

I never go by the empty house without stopping and looking back,

Yet it hurts me to look at the crumbling roof and the shutters fallen apart,

For I can't help thinking the poor old house is a house with a broken heart.

 

This poem is in the public domain.

 

Alfred Joyce Kilmer (1886 – 1918) is best known for his poem, "Trees,"  but he actually produced quite a large volume of work. Had his life not ended so tragically early, many believe he would have developed into one of America's great poets. Joyce married young and fathered five children even as he was establishing himself as a teacher, writer, and lecturer. While coping with the illness of one of their children, Joyce and his wife converted from the Episcopal faith to Catholocism and he ultimately became the leading Catholic poet of his time. When World War I broke out, Joyce enlisted and had contracted to write a book about his war experiences. Unfortunately, he was killed on a French battlefield before he ever even began the book; he was only 31 when he died. Interesting side note: Joyce's father worked for Johnson & Johnson and is credited with inventing that company's famous baby powder.

 

Our Peers

 Butch and I went to Darrell's Place in Hamlin Iowa to have lunch with longtime friend Sherri Clark. Darrell's Place is at the intersection of Hwy's 71 and 44.  It had been a long time since we had been there and we came away impressed. The food is famous-breaded pork tenderloins- and delicious! They are not the biggest ones we have ever seen and that's okay. I am not impressed by size. I like mine about a half-inch thick and tender. We three ordered tenderloins and fries. I ordered sweet potato fries and they were also done perfectly. To back up a bit, our first pleasant surprise was the prices. My tenderloin sandwich was $5.25 and I added the fries for $2.50. It is rare indeed to see those kinds of prices these days. They are also famous for their homemade pies. We had lemon meringue and it too was a "wow" experience. The visit, the food, and the drive were all pleasant events. It would not take much coaxing to get me there again.

On the way home Butch and I were talking about different things and I said, "All our peers are disappearing." I tickled myself. Would that be considered a pun? Unfortunately, it is true but also the road we are traveling down.

This is Iowa

"This is Iowa" features Jefferson's own Robby Pederson. Robby's parents live across the street from us. If you are coming to Jefferson you should put this on your todo list. For the really old folk Robby' s place is where Milligan's Lumberyard was located.

Check out this This is Iowa story from Beau Bowman KCCI:

https://www.kcci.com/.../this-is-iowa-jefferson.../62378846

Howard Zimmerle's Work

 Howard is my cousin, his father and my mother were siblings. Photography, among many other things, is his hobby, and I am frequently blown away by the shots he captures. This one knocked my socks off! It has everything going for it.

Time Flew

 Son Gary was here for a few days, mainly to retrieve his camper. I told him he could keep it here for the winter but he said there are things inside he might need, like fishing poles. So golf, pool, and cribbage were played as usual and he participated in the last Trivia go-round as well. Son Rich came to trivia and we caught up on news from that branch of the family.

Just happened to run across this pic of Gary and his grandaughter Elise. Elise is now 14! Gary has always enjoyed his role as father and grandfather. 

Also while he was here I cooked an old favorite, Skillet Spaghetti. It is one of those quick ones from the years when the boys were in their teens and I needed quick fixes. I also thought Gary should keep it in mind since he is the retired one in his family and also does a fair amount of cooking.

Every now and then I go through my recipe box and see what comes up to jog my memory. This recipe is the result of one of those excursions.

The last Trivia session of the season took place last night and a good time was had by all. The time for heading South is fast approaching and every day a baby step or two is taking place in that direction. We had some touch-up painting done on the house so a few yard items had to be moved and now they will stay moved. The todo list is getting shorter all the time.

Oh the trouble I've seen...

 Back to the phone issue. I spent a big chunk of time for three days trying to get Butch's phone number transferred to his new phone. Everyone on both sides of this issue told me it was possible. I tried somewhere in the teens times to get it done.

Finally, I ran into a fellow who gave me confidence because of the questions he asked me and the numbers he needed from me. His bottom line was it cannot be done. The two systems are not compatible. So then I asked for a new number to be assigned to him and that has been done. I am not posting it here of course but if you are one of the many who may want it get in touch with me. It was a stressful three days and I am resting much easier now.  One of my biggest stresses is having things hanging that need to be resolved but are taking a long time with many facets of unanswered questions. 

On to other matters... We have one more trivia session before I hang it for the season on this end. Glenn took some photos last week and passed them along to me.

We have two teams and the women and men are divided up. I encourage mixing it up a bit but it never seems to happen. We do have room for more if you want to join us on Thursday nights at 6:30. Thursday is the last one this season.

Everyone seems to enjoy it and as long as that is the case I will continue. I have been doing this since 2016 and I  save my questions. I have a fairly large library of questions now so when I am super busy I look at my archives and recycle.

Here is a newspaper article about Glenn...

Everyone has a story and I do enjoy knowing what your story is.

The Long and Short of it

 About a week ago we, had some nice weather and I opened the house and the breezeway to enjoy the fresh air. A mouse took advantage of my hospitality and made his/her way into the walls(?) of our house. I started hearing munching sounds. I could tell the sound was in the walls. I could have drawn a circle where he was munching but I was not about to let him in any further. He/She did not need my help. I started to find droppings and kept hearing indications that he had moved in.

So what to do! I lay awake at night listening to tiny mouse rearranging of tiny mouse furniture. This went on for at least 3 days and nights. We put out sticky pads but they seemed to be too smart to step on them so we added more sticky pads, 4 finally and finally they worked. He was a loner, at least we hope so.

And then we bought new phones. Mine was just an upgrade so switching was easy. Butch had not had a new phone in at least 15 years. I decided the best way to go was for both of us to have the same make and model so I could help him more easily with "issues". There will forever be issues. The first issue was getting his number transferred from Tracfone to Google Fi. This is the worst nightmare, debacle, and frustration I have had in many years. Did you know Tracfone has been swallowed up by Verizon? I didn't. They kept wanting my billing number from Verizon and that was just the first hoop to jump through. At this writing, it is still not resolved. I plan to take the day off tomorrow...maybe. I get pretty tenacious in these situations.

So now you know how I almost missed wishing Susan Brooker HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Fortuantely there is a few hours left in the day!

Whatcha doin' ?

 I looked at my last post and thought I should be posting something. I get writer's block sometimes but usually muster up something. This is one of those days. So this is a mishmash of things I have done lately.

Pool Hall door needed repainting. Yup, it is red.

House door gets another coat too. Yup, it is red.

Pool Hall restroom door

Pool Hall activities are still taking place. The paper is left over from trivia night.

Butch in his hideyhole.

Latest beading project...unfinished

That is what is going on at our house. What is going on at yours?

Walking Daily

 It is never too late to start and a little is better than none. I am still doing it. Keri and I walk a couple of miles every morning we can. Life does get in the way now and then but still, we persist.

As I write this we are back from our walk. If Keri cannot make it I still walk, sometimes with Butch but most often with my audiobook. I am currently listening to The Sound of Glass by Karen White. It will not make my top ten list but it is okay.

I plan to keep walking as long as possible. I used to mix it up with biking and I miss it. When I am going through pictures taken on a section of the trail too far to walk, I miss it.

I plan to label this 2024 summer season as the year we got things done. Our house and all its appendages are in tip-top shape.

And now back to beading...

Close to the Raccoon Valley Bridge south of Jefferson 2016

Back to beading

 I have had different crafts at different stages of my life and the truth of it is they usually lose their luster for one reason or another. When we bought the house in Jefferson that needed a full rejuvenation, crafts took a back burner. The only one surviving through that period was photography.

But now I turn back to it. I restarted with Swedish Weaving but it just didn't grab me. I enjoyed it immensely while doing it but the pull back to it wasn't there. And now I am revisiting beading, not just any beading, specifically Delica beading. I have done the generalized beading, otherwise known as seed beading, with success but the one that grabs me and gets the creative juices going is with Delica beads. I have made three bracelets and numerous rings in the past month.

So now you know where I have been and what I have been doing.

However, Photography is always near and dear and always will be.

Mushrooms as large as a dinner plate!

A Still Life. And history lies within. The picture on the wall is one I took more than 10 years ago on the bike trail, the small blanket on the chair is a past Swedish Weaving project, and the lamp is one Butch made in high school shop class. From a photographic viewpoint, the sun's light caught my eye and that is when I reached for my camera that is always nearby.

Every Day is an Adventure!!

We Start...

 We start thinking about our southern home at this time of year. Not too seriously of course, but it is an inkling in the back of our minds that inches forward ever so slowly. Seeing September on the calendar starts it off because the take-off date is then only 7 or 8 weeks away.

We have only one more item on our to-do list: to do some touch-up painting on our house and garage/shop. I find it hard to believe that we did so much this season, and I wonder what we could possibly have to do next season. I don't think this has ever happened before!

We bought a golf cart and it resides at the golf course. Butch did this reluctantly because he knows what happens when you buy one; you use it more and walk less. The golf cart was a good buy and we both knew we would buy one sooner or later, so I guess it is sooner-or-later. Walking the course was irritating his leg which broke a few years back and his golf game was suffering as well.  He is one of the most active people I know so we hope his level of activity remains high enough to keep him healthy. It is a fine line; he needs exercise but ladders and quick-moving sports have been outlawed by ME. He keeps the yard up despite not enjoying it. I assume something will keep him moving. We both play pool for an hour every day. Does that really count?

Till next time...

Backyard Birds

 I didn't get a photo, but we had 13 doves working the feeders this morning! The other day I was able to get some photos of Starlings. They are newcomers so I looked them up to be sure- they are European Starlings.

Here are some of my latest bird pics: 

Downy Woodpecker

The Finches

The Starlings...

European Starling- I did not realize these birds were so colorful!

Winters in the Valley

C Randy Parks wrote:

I am posting a link to the music video I wrote, recorded, and put together. It is over six minutes long so it is better to watch it with WiFi. Be aware, just when you think it is over, there’s more. I tried to include most of the pictures that were sent to me so you can look to see if you’re in it somewhere. Leave a comment if you wish. I hope you enjoy my rendition of Winters In The Valley.

 I love this put-together describing what takes place in Alamo Tx at Trophy Gardens. Randy is a very talented fellow as well as being Pastor. He did a wonderful job. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! ~Barb B.