Clothes Strung Everywhere

Last night when I got home from work, Lisa and the kids were getting ready to leave to go down to the house and surprise Ryan and Bob and see how things are coming along!! They told me not to worry about the pets in the morning, because they would be home first thing and would take care of them. They loaded their van and they were off. I kept myself busy all evening and even went to the grocery store to pick-up a few items. About bed time, I remembered that the office was having a picnic on Thursday, and I had signed up to bring a salad. I had signed up for salad because I wanted to use the cabbage and onions out of the garden. Before Bob left on Sunday, he told me that he was going to put two heads of cabbage in the refrigerator on the back porch so I intended on using some of it. Earlier in the evening I had gone to the garden and pulled the onions and they were waiting to be chopped. I chopped the onions, put them in a Ziploc bag and in the refrigerator. I mix up the dressing in a pint canning jar and put it in the refrigerator. Then I toasted sesame seeds, slivered almonds, and crushed ramen noodles and put that in a Ziploc bag. Now the only thing left to do was shred the cabbage and put it away. I went to the refrigerator and opened it to find no cabbage. That was just great!!! No cabbage. Now what was I going to do? I certainly couldn't go out in the garden and get any. It was too dark and I didn't have a flashlight. I was hoping that Lisa hadn't already used it, because I knew I wouldn't have time in the morning to run to the store and buy some. I tucked the dogs in their respective beds and turned off the lights, except for the light that's keeping the baby chicks warm, and went to bed. Unfortunately, I had to get up several times during the night and open the window by the staircase and holler at Lola to "be quiet"! She kept barking and barking and barking. There was no way I was going to go outside and investigate, so I just hollered every time she barked. Finally we both got tired and went to sleep.

The alarm woke me up much sooner than I felt like getting up, but I only had one hour before I had to leave to go and pick up my friend, Cil, and head for work so I jumped out of bed and started my morning routine. I decided that I would go and let the dogs outside for awhile before I dried my hair so I went downstairs and outside the back door of the kitchen. There was a lot of whining and barking from Checotah and Punkin wanting to be petted and let outside. I let both dogs outside and then went to get Lola out of the slammer. Lola will not come into the garage at night to sleep, she runs for the slammer. So, that's where I put her at night.

I went out to the garden to get a head of cabbage and the dogs followed me out there. They are really good about not going into the garden. They know they can only come to the edge so they just wait there for me. I had never picked cabbage before and I found out that you cannot pick cabbage out of the garden. You need a knife to cut it off. I came back to the house and got a knife and went back out to cut the cabbage. I brought the cabbage back into the house and then went back outside to put Checotah on her chain (she can't be left off the chain because she will run out in the street if something or somebody goes by). All three of the dogs were hungry so I gave them all some breakfast and then hurried back into the house to get ready for work. I had to shred the cabbage and then get all the ingredients for the salad put in a basket along with a bowl and salad tongs. By now, I had eight minutes to fix my hair and get dressed. Breakfast wasn't going to happened this morning. It's a rare morning that I don't eat breakfast and this was a rare morning. Just keep reading . . .

I rushed out the door, basket and purse in hand and then had to run back into the house to pick up an envelope (Lola's dog license fee that was due today) I had to drop off at the County office before heading for work. I give both Lola and Punkin a pat on the head and tell them to be good and stay home and holler at Checotah and tell her to be good and not to bark all day. As I pull to the end of the driveway and look left down the road, I see clothes scatter all down the center line as far as I can see. That's strange, I think to myself. I wonder what those are doing there. Then I look to the right (the direction I was going to turn) and the scatter clothing continued down the center yellow line as far as I could see with an occasional shirt, sock, hat, or shoe on either and both sides of the road. What in the world? What is going on? How did this happen? I then see dress shoes on the side of the road and a short distance later I see a leather coat. At first I thought maybe Lisa forgot to shut the back door on the van and these are all their clothes, but then I remember that I went to the store after they left and there weren't any clothes scattered around then. Whew! Glad they aren't ours so I don't have to get out there and gather them all up. The clothes went for two miles. After I dropped off the envelope at the county office, I turned around and headed to Cil's house. Then I thought, "Blog this!!!" So I pulled over to the side of the road and got out my camera. I took one from the car, but it wasn't very good, so I waited until several cars went by, and then jumped out and took another one. More cars coming, so I get back in my car. Then I remembered that I have a zoom feature. So I get back out and go out to the middle of the road and zoom in as fast as I can, snap the picture and run back and get in the car before the next three cars whiz by. O.K. I have to stop messing around I'm running ten minutes late, so I drive a little faster to Cil's house. I arrived at Cil's house only one minute late. Cil and I talked about all those clothes and we have our theory about how they got there.

Here's our theory: A wife discovered that her husband was having an affair, and took all her husbands clothes and deliberately scattered them down County Route ?. Sounds logical to me. What a great idea. Better than throwing his clothes out the second story window and making a mess on the front lawn.

I wish I had had more time and could have gotten a better picture. A little further down, there was a steady stream of clothes. But I was in a hurry so this is the best I could do.

When I came home from work, Lisa hadn't been home, she had a change of plans, and the animals were hungry. I needed to run and get chicken food, dog food, bird food, and rabbit food before the farm store closed. So back out and down the road I went. The dogs were confused about me coming home and then immediately leaving again. I soon returned and decided to go and let Checotah off the chain to run around for a little while. She could get some exercise while I went in to change my clothes and then I would put the dogs to bed for the night. Checotah was so excited to see me she rolled over on her back and I bent over to rub her tummy and then she jumped up and started running around me, still on her chain, and wrapped my ankles with the chain and then jumped up on me and knocked me down and when I fell down on my back, my skirt went over my head and Checotah was just so happy to have me home and paying attention to her that she laid on top of me and started licking. Punkin and Lola just sat on the porch watching. I'm sure glad we live out in the country. Finally I got Checotah off of me and settled down enough to unlatch the chain from her collar and then she went running around in circles which gave me time to unwrap the chain from my ankles and get myself off the ground. I have a few cuts and bruises, but I'll probably live.

The animals have all been put to bed for the night and so far I haven't had to holler at Lola and I've only had to tell Checotah to be quiet once.

I sure hope tomorrow is a less eventful day.

I

They're Packing Their Bags . . .

My friends from California, Cathy and Dore, e-mailed me that it was time to plan our fall get-together. Last year when they were out to New York visiting me, we decided that it was so much fun getting together that we would try and do it every year. Just the girls. Both Cathy and Dore want to come back east and I'm very excited, because I wouldn't be able to go to California this year. But now we have a dilemma. We have lots of options, but none of us will make the decision as to where or what we should do. So, I'm asking for your help.

Here's the options:

1.) Meet in Pennsylvania and visit Lancaster County; covered bridges, Amish communities; and farmers markets and then take a day and go to New York City.

2.) Stay at my house and go to the 1,000 Islands; Alexandria Bay; take a boat tour; visit Boldt Castle; and go to Niagara Falls.

Of course shopping would be included in both option one or two.

I think this is going to be fun to have help making this decision.

They're Growing Up Fast . . .

Our baby chicks are growing up fast. They can already fly out of their temporary cage (washtub) in the kitchen. Bob went and bought some fencing and posts so the boys (Ryan and Matt) can put it up tomorrow. He cut a piece of the wire and put it over the washtub so the chicks won't be running all over the house. We have enough little feet running all over without any help from the chickens. They sure are growing up fast. Soon they will be old enough to go outside. When they are twenty weeks old, they will start laying eggs.

They are so cute. I love watching them and of course I have to pick each one up and give it a kiss on the top of its head.

Happy Birthday, Francie

My daughter, Francie, you are a blessing from above. You bring a special joy that comes from deep inside, as you've grown into womanhood you have filled my heart with pride. With every year that passes you are more special than before and I love you even more.

Just born - July 26, 1980 at 4:27 a.m. - 8 lbs. 10 oz.

You were named after your great grandmother - Franciska Helena

Your dad wanted you to have your very own name too, so he added Leeann.

Helping grandma Annie rock your baby sister.

Three months old.

You loved music and playing (I should say banging) on the old piano was one of your favorites.

This is a doll that you got for one of your birthdays.

You were the flower girl in a church members wedding.
You look so precious.

Your big brother, Ryan, is helping you with your pony ride.

You told Mrs. Claus just what you wanted for Christmas. And you must have been a good girl, because you got what you asked for, I think.
You and me going down an amusement park slide. It was really fast and you loved it! I was a little scared, so I hung on tight to you.

After we moved away from Oklahoma City, we tried to go back every summer to visit family. During this trip, we had to visit great grandma in the hospital. She loved you kids so much. This is the grandmother that you were named after. She was adopted from an orphanage in Missouri when she was three months old. Her name was Blanche when she was adopted, but her parents re-named her after her new mother. Her adopted parents came to the states from Poland and they spoke German.

This is your great grandpa, Orval. The sweetest man in the whole world. He loved you children so much.

You and Natalie showing off your new "big wheels" and shades!!
For Thanksgiving, you and Natalie decided to dress up for the occasion. Natalie was the Indian and you were the pilgrim.

The way these pictures are set-up it appears that the egg(s) came first. oops

You and Natalie playing on the clothes-line on our trip to North Dakota to visit family.
You and Natalie making cookies. I love those spongy curlers.

Sooo sweet!


First grade picture.

"I want to be an exercise teacher when I grow up!"

You loved animals. Especially cats.

Here you are celebrating your fifth birthday along with Jodie's (the dog) second birthday.


This Thanksgiving you both wanted to be pilgrims.

Showing off a barn cat that Ryan brought home from the farm.

Your thirteenth birthday.

Pine Hills Academy girls flag football team. Both you and Natalie played on the team.



Sisters
This was when we lived in Amarillo.


Your baptism in the Eel River at Redwood Camp Meeting.

Your dorm room at academy. When you went to visit Lori on home leave you were running some errands and you made Lori turn around so you could get that old window out of the trash pile of some body's yard. She thought you were crazy, until she saw how cute it looked in your room. You have such a talent for decorating. Your dorm room always looked like a picture out of a decorating magazine.

And, you're an awesome auntie!!!!

With Braces

Without Braces

You have always enjoyed getting up in front of people and singing. Here you are singing with a friend - entertaining the parents graduation weekend. You wrote the words to make fun of where you had to work - Thunderbird Furniture. It was great. Everyone liked it, even your boss!!

What were the words to that song?

You and Natalie have always been such good friends. You were such a good sister, helping Natalie with her homework and helping her keep her room clean so she wouldn't get in trouble. She sure did miss you the next year when you went off to college and left her. You were like a mother to her.

You and your four sisters, Shannon, you, Rachael, Lori, and Natalie graduation weekend.

You were having the time of your life!
We are so proud of you. Your accomplishments are many.

I always enjoyed mother's day weekend when you were in college because of the special weekend they had. I would drive from California to Seattle and pick up Lori and then we would drive together over to Walla Walla. What great memories. Remember the fresh asparagus we would bring with us and then cook it in your dorm room?

Graduating from college. And then you moved to Michigan and started your master's program. I can't find a picture of your graduation from your master's program.

Jason and Francie - Friends

No words can describe the warm memories that come from having a daughter like you to love and to cherish. Happy Birthday!!

Love,

Mom

It was a Busy Day!

We had a very busy day today. Shannon came up Saturday evening to go with us to the Harbor fest fireworks display. Lisa's parents, two sisters (12 total) and Ryan and Lisa and the children and Bob and I and Shannon went caravan style to the show. It was amazing to watch.

Ryan and Lisa stopped and picked up some ice cream and we continued the party at our house when everyone got home. Bob and I were too tired to party, so we were party poopers and we ent to bed. But at 6:00 a.m. this morning, Bob and I were up ready to start the day and the rest of the family slept in until ? I had gone to Home Depot to pick up some lumber that Bob needed while he went out to pick the vegetables in the garden and to pick the berries too.

When I got home from picking up the lumber, Bob had eight quarts of berries picked and he thought I should make jam with them right away because they were very ripe berries. So, Shannon and I made fourteen jars of raspberry jam. And, we have an extra jar in the refrigerator so we can try it tomorrow morning.

The raspberry jam Shannon and I made today.

Shannon will be graduating from nursing school in August and needed a nurses dress for the graduation. We had bought one a month or so ago, but it wasn't approved. So she bought some fabric and a pattern and we made one today.

Cathy, my sewing machine is a Bernina 1130. Sorry I didn't get back to you. I didn't get home until Friday and didn't check my e-mails. Shannon cut out the dress and did a lot of the sewing too!

The dress fit perfectly and Shannon likes it a lot.

Shannon thought of the idea to put a ribbon tie in the back. Pretty cute, huh?

After Shannon packed up and headed for home, I decided to make a batch of bread. I made three loaves of cinnamon raisin bread. Here are the eight loaves of bread in the warming oven raising.

Well, the bread just came out of the oven and I sampled a slice with some raspberry jam and it's really good!!! Wish my friends could all come over and help me eat it.

I also spent several hours today going through pictures. Yesterday was Francie's birthday and I'm going to do a birthday post for her this week. It's so much fun going through the boxes of pictures and remembering all the fun times we've had together as a family.

Francie, I hope you had a great birthday. I wish I could have been there with you to celebrate. A special birthday blog for you coming soon!!!

Tomorrow I have to go back to work.

Hail!!

When we got home from church late this afternoon (this was a three church Sabbath) a big thunderstorm came through. Bob went out and picked up some of the hail out of the yard. The kids picked up some and are storing it in the freezer.

Guess What Arrived at Our House?

While Bob and I were away this week working on the house, Lisa and the kids held down the fort at home. Lisa ordered a dozen baby chicks and they arrived at the post office this week. They are so cute. She has them in a tote in the dining room and to keep them warm she took a lamp from one of the bedrooms and turned it upside-down and hung it from the table with the cord held in place by a heavy cookie jar. Also deliver this week by the U.S. Postal Service was a queen bee and four worker bees that Bob had ordered for one of his hives. Unfortunately, the queen died, so the company is sending another one.

These are the cutest little chicks! Now Bob has to build a chicken coop.

My Week of Vacation

This week Bob and I took vacation and worked on the house Ryan and Lisa are going to buy from us when it is finished. It should be ready by Thanksgiving if we keep pushing. Bob will have to keep working on it two days a week. We are hiring the contractor, the one that worked on our house, to install the kitchen cabinets and all the trim work in the house. The inside was gutted so it will be like a new house when it is finished. Once the inside is finished, we will start on the outside. We have to replace the roof and the front porch, paint and put on new shutters. The foundation needs a little repairing also. I think it will be a really cute house when it is finished. The yard has some really pretty trees and it's on an acre with ten acres next to it that are for sale. Ryan and Lisa are checking in to the possibility of purchasing those.

This is the house. We will be taking the front porch off and replacing it. We won't be putting screen on it.
The well has been a problem and added expense for us. The old well (which is the little square piece of cement on the upper left side of this picture) collapsed meaning the dirt and sand fell in and we had no water. The well driller came out to check and it wasn't fixable so we had to have another well drilled. You can see the new well on the right side of the picture with the blue cap. They went down 175 feet before they were able to hit water. It has a good flow, but the bad news is, the well isn't usable. It's salt water. The driller said that he has drilled 140 wells this summer and this is the first salt well he has had. So now we have to have another well drilled. In the meantime, we have no water, so we have to haul water from our house to fill the trailer that we are staying in at the house we are working on. (an hour away)
The well driller took a branch of an apple tree that is on the property and witched to find another place to drill the well. Bob decided try witching with the same branch. It's amazing that the stick really does go down. We hammered a stick in the place the driller said they would drill. We are sure hoping that we get a good flow and that the water is good.

Bob is checking for himself what the well driller said.

Since we didn't have water, I washed the trowels out in a big water puddle in the driveway. We were sure thankful that it rained most of the week, because we put buckets out in the yard to collect water for mixing the mortar.

We have all the drywall finished with three coats of mud. Sunday, Bob will sand the last coat of mud and then start the painting. I painted the bathroom and then laid the tile. All I have to do is the mortar now. I decided that I wanted to change the color of the mortar, so I had to take it back and exchange it.

Monday I go back to work.