Bill Brooker's Photos

Took  two pictures when the sun was going down, the other two in the morning!

Still Kickin'

We are still kickin', just not very high. Walking, eating, sleeping, making bracelets and that's about it. I did meet friends Mickey and Jayne for lunch today. Of course we are ready for life to return to normal and we are being as patient as we can.

Best sweet corn method

I just have to repost this simple method for cooking sweet corn! Sure glad I looked it up because I didn't remember. Check out the video below!

I have used an altered method of this one for quite some time but you can bet this will be my new way of doing corn. This is just slick as a whistle!!!
http://youtu.be/YnBF6bv4Oe4

Winter schedule

Remember way back when how your schedule changes with the change in weather. For the past eight or so years we have had little of that. Yes, we have a cold spell or two in sunny south Texas along about mid January but then sometimes we do not too. When it happens you cook different, dress different and do different activities. As I write this I looked out the window to see SNOWFLAKES!! OMG as they say. I do not think it will amount to much but it is definitely snowing. Butch jokingly said, "Aw, it is corn dust." Nope, not corn dust. It is definitely snowflakes. It is what it is and we will do what we have to do and right now that is sit tight till we get the word that Butch is good to go. It has been a a week now since surgery. He is still needing pain pills. Not many but some.  His two week appointment is next Wednesday, a week from today. We will know more then about what to expect.
I have been making bracelets like crazy. I have been trying to get the ones done for local people. I am working on the last local one. I have 4 more on my todo list. I hope to be able to stock up this winter but who knows. My schedule can get a bit frantic.
I may pass on the walk today. 40's for a high. ugh!!

On Hold

We are on hold. The weather is cold. We are getting old and that's a fact. A week or so ago I decided to stop taking a medicine to see if I could get along without it. I can't. My foot started hurting and at first I did not make the connection. In fact for quite some time I didn't make the connection. Went to the doctor yesterday. Got an x-ray of my foot and it showed nothing, nada, zilch. So he upped the meds I quit taking and said that oughta do it and if not let him know and he would refer me to a podiatrist. It is doing it. My foot feels 100% better today and I should be able to go for a walk with Butch ...with my winter coat on...and a hat...and gloves. Grumble grumble. 

Butch is doing fine.

Funny little Lady bug

Grandpa Gary says:

Elise played just like she always does while trying on her ladybug costume

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV7dl5iDaXE

And here are some stills too

Recipes-Both were winners

Bean with Bacon

Rated: Submitted By: Karena Photo By: Rose C. Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 2 Hours 20 Minutes Ready In: 2 Hours 35 Minutes Servings: 6

"Onions and celery are sauteed with bacon and added to this navy bean soup in a chicken bouillon base spiced with cloves and bay leaf."

INGREDIENTS:

1 (16 ounce) package dried navy beans 9 cups water 1 pound bacon 2 onions, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon

1 bay leaf 1/3 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes 4 cups water

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Boil the beans in 9 cups of the water and then let sit for one hour. Drain and set aside.
2.	Cook the bacon to your desired texture (it can be soft or crisp, whatever you prefer) and drain except for 1/4 cup grease. Coarsly chop the bacon.
3.	Add the onions and celery to the reserved grease and bacon and saute until soft, do not drain. Add the chicken base or cubes, 4 cups water, beans, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and cloves, and simmer for 2 hours.
4.	Stir in the tomatoes with their juice. Serve. Mary's Meatloaf

Rated: Submitted By: MROBINSON Photo By: AcaCandy Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 2 Hours Ready In: 2 Hours 20 Minutes Servings: 6

"This easy meatloaf is flavored with garlic powder, mustard, ketchup and onion, then topped with a brown sugar, ketchup and mustard mixture."

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 1 large onion, chopped salt to taste ground black pepper to taste garlic powder to taste 6 slices white bread, cut into cubes

1/2 cup milk 1 egg 3 tablespoons yellow mustard, divided 1/2 cup ketchup, divided 3 tablespoons brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	In a large bowl, thoroughly mix ground beef, onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix in bread, milk, egg, 2 tablespoons mustard and 1/4 cup ketchup.
3.	Press the meat mixture into a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a small bowl, stir together remaining mustard, ketchup and brown sugar; pour on top of the meat loaf.
4.	Bake in preheated oven for 2 hours.

Saturday

Maybe it is the cooler weather. Not sure what it is but I am on a cooking jag. Hard to believe, I know, but there you are. I have done more cooking today than I have in one day since the kids were home. They are in their late forty's and early fifties so you know it has been a very long time. For supper we are having meatloaf and baked potatoes. It is all ready to go in the oven when the time is right. And then I am making Bean and Bacon soup. This is mainly to take part of the batch to my friend Denise to heat up when they are of a mind to after she gets home from the hospital. She brought me soup when I had a cold and it really hit the spot. I will enclose both recipes. I got both of these recipes from www.allrecipes.com  a trusted source of recipes for many years.
Leo and his little buddy came by this afternoon and aerated our yard. It actually did double duty because the leaves are not what they used to be either. They are sort of semi chopped up. Leo is determined that we have grass. See, we do not much care if it is grass or weeds as long as it is green. Perhaps that comes from staying too long in Texas. The yard sure looks nice though and thanks Leo!

Feeling Fine

Butch says he is feeling better and more confident in his walking. There isn't much going on here so I will have to delve deep to find something to write about.
I like my new washer. It is a front load and all things come cleaner and dry quicker. Of course I hang my clothes on the line and will as long as the weather allows. I think they dry as quick on the line as they do in the dryer.
Our friend Denise had an emergency appendectomy yesterday. We expect that kind of thing when we are young but it doesn't even enter our head as a possibility at our advanced years. I wonder how many appendectomies are on Medicare recipients?
We had not been married very long when Butch had an emergency appendectomy. No health insurance and it put us in debt. It took us a long time to clear it out too.
I have been playing Word with Friends through Facebook. I am not a big Facebook fan but I do like playing this game. It is essentially scrabble. I happen to be playing with 2 friends, Connie Jones and Sherri Clark. It is funny because these are the same two I used to play Upwords with years ago on the computer. I love Upwords and much prefer it to scrabble but cannot find an online game of it. But Words with friends on Facebook is fun and I always look forward to the next play. I think I have 4 games going with each of them. I am always open to more so let me know if you would like to play. You must be a Facebook member and then download the Words with Friends app. Once that is in place you can invite people to play with you.

So I will probably spend the remainder of my day bracelet making and cogitating on what to write about tomorrow.

Grandpa Gary Says...

You can learn from Elise

Dance when you hear music and don't forget to wash your hands

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjg95PK2G1Y

We're Home!!

Butch did well with his surgery. They removed the herniated disc as well as some scar tissue and bone spurs. He is not having any pain unless he moves the wrong way. Glad to be home and in his own bed. He didn't sleep well last night. I stayed with him on a rollaway and did surprisingly well. Probably overly tired due to the 4:00 am start to my day yesterday. When you are gone like we were it seems like such a very long time you've been gone when really it was only a little over 24 hours. Anyway it is good to be home. Butch cannot drive for two weeks for sure. He rode home in the back seat lying down and only complained once and that was when we crossed the railroad tracks in Ames, just a few blocks from the hospital. They do a good job at Mary Greeley hospital taking care of people.
It is always good to get ones life back to normal and I think we have taken the first giant step in that direction. Now if we can just keep putting one foot in front of another....

Surgery Day tomorrow

Thanks to all for your friendship,concern and prayers. It is much appreciated. We have to be in Ames (40 miles) by 6:00 AM in the morning. Butch says that is okay because I will be asleep shortly after we get there. His actual surgery time isn't till 8:45 however.
Plans for today: Barb= long walk and bracelet making. Butch= help Leo remove Keri's old microwave and who knows what else.
Some long awaited rain may thwart my plans if I do not get a move on.

Gary and Susan's Fun Weekend

Grandpa Gary says: The smiles last a long time after a weekend with Elise. I think of funny things she did and smile long after she is back home.

Jason and Ethan

The picture says it all!

Odds and Ends

A cartoon I thought particularly appropriate.

My friend Denise who started the bracelet avalanche. The hat is not hers although it looks quite dashing. It was one she saw at an auction. 

This cartoon gal reminds me of Denise. Can anyone else see the resemblance?

Sweet Elise. I did not remember if I had posted this picture before or not but it sure is a cute one. Her mother, Amanda was not all that fond of water. I do not think Elise has inherited that factor.

Butch's brother Bill sent this picture of the river on which they live in Arkansas. It is one of those top ten pictures. Good job, Bill!!

Henry Wallace Farm

This morning was pretty in pink. It didn't last long.

 Butch and I were scheduled to meet square dancers at the Henry Wallace Farm near Orient Iowa. Since I had that pesky head cold we were not at all sure we would go. I still didn't feel top-notch but I didn't think I was contagious any longer so we made the trip. If you are curious about who Henry Wallace was and why he was famous you can visit the links I have provided above. It was great seeing everyone even if I couldn't give hugs. These are people we spent our Iowa winters with for about 20 years.

Don and Marilyn Scott

Judi Smith and Carolyn and Morris Wilson

Looks like Jack Tallman and Butch are in time out and Jan Brahms is giving them a talking to.

Henry Wallace started the Pioneer Seed Corn company among many other things like running for president of the USA.

Soil erosion demo

There were many more people there who I did not get photos of and the farm has many neat things too but the wind was blowing "like sixty" and the dust was heavy in the air. Maybe we will do another reunion next summer and get more pictures.

Waiting Game

Butch is waiting to be pain free and I am waiting to get over my cold. I am much better today. The combo of Neti-pot and Zicam came through once again. I am also in bad need of a haircut so in a few minutes Butch is going to trim me up. The last time I called a hairdresser I had to wait a week so it is just easier to have Butch cut it short enough to get to sunny South Texas where he turns the job over to Yolanda at Alicias. Gotta go as he is all set to shear me.

Headcolds

They come out of no where and disrupt everything. I have one. I hate it. I am getting better. At least today I can get air flow through both nostrils most of the time. I am trying to stay as far away from Butch as I can. If he gets it the surgery would be delayed until he was over it. It is hard to not contaminate someone when you are in close quarters. As always doing the best we can. It isn't always easy.
The sun is shining on my keyboard highlighting the need for a good cleaning. It is always something...

Back Surgery Next Tuesday

Butch is having Back Surgery in Ames Iowa at Mary Greeley Hospital on Tuesday October 11th. He will be in the hospital overnight. Post Op checkup on the 26th followed by a week of physical therapy. And with all things going right we could be on the road November 1st. But when we do leave here we do not plan to go more than a couple hundred miles per day so it will take us awhile to go the 1400 miles to South Texas.

Ride through the country

Butch and I met my sister Theresa today. We had meant to get together all summer but kept putting it off. We had a nice meal and caught up on lots of stuff. On the way to meet her I didn't take any pictures even though I saw many I would have liked. But on the way home I took several while on the fly. Harvest is in full swing as was evident everywhere.

Iowa's new trademark. It is even on the new drivers license.

Harvest Happens

Butch and I have names we have created for some places we have been. Today we went by dead woman exit. A few years ago a naked dead woman was found at this exit and we think of her and the situation every time we are near this exit. As far as I know this is still an unsolved murder.