Because I Said So

Because of Love

2011-07-06T20:23:00.007-04:00

Bob and I are hosting a 15 year old boy from an orphanage in the Ukraine. His name is Volodymyr, but prefers to be called Vova. He is very kind hearted and helps whenever he can without being asked. But then there is the "all boy" that comes out from time to time - he loves any kind of sport that involves a ball! He was a favorite at camp meeting when they teamed up for soccer. Vova arrived with only sandles and was trying to play soccer wearing sandles. I decided that we would head over to a department store a few miles away and buy him a pair of sneakers. We came back to camp meeting with a pair of soccer shoes and soccer socks. I didn't know there were special shoes to play soccer. Vova educated me in the different shoes needed to participate in different sports.

He loves to play games and will not only laugh at your mistakes or goof-up's, he'll laugh at his own. Bob "Papa" is doing a good job keeping up with Vova. I didn't know Bob had all those sport skills in him. I thought he only knew how to garden. Bob got out his 50 year old baseball gloves and ball and the two of them have been having a great time playing catch.

Vova also likes Bob's old bicycle he found in the barn. He rides it all over the property. Vova has helped catch several chickens that were trying to run away from home. He has so much energy. I wish he'd share some with me!

Tonight he and "Papa" put together a model car. A red corvette. He loves sports cars and whenever he sees one he points and makes sure he gets our attention to show it to us. And, if it's parked, he wants a picture of it with him in the picture if possible.

He'll eat almost anything. He especially likes fresh fruit, strawberry jam, biscuits, blini, and homemade vegetable soup. He loves to give us hugs in the morning and say, "Good morning".
He's learning English quickly and it's a good thing because I've only mastered two words in Russian - "no (nyet) and yes (da)". Those are my own spellings which probably aren't correct, but you get the idea.

Vova has stolen our heart.

I Love New York Summers

2011-06-19T08:36:00.011-04:00

Sabbath afternoon Bob and I went down to Ryan and Lisa's house to visit for awhile. We decided it was a good day to go to the lake and also have a picnic. Lisa's sister, Karoline and her husband and children joined us and Shannon, Jeff and Madeline too! It was a perfect day and I was reminded of why I love New York summers! The kids took their scooters and Matt took his bicycle which were transported in Jeff's SUV. Kids and adults piled into vehicles and the caravan began.

The kid gang on the pier; Gracie, Hudson, Hannah, Matt, Little Ryan, Madeline, and Julia.

Gracie, Hudson, Joe, Ryan, and Jeff. The kids would ride their scooters so fast on the pier, I was afraid they were going to go off into the water. But, all was safe!

Shannon and Madeline

Picnic time!

The kids were going wild on their scooters while we were getting the food ready. And, amazingly, there was only one small accident. Madeline was going too fast as she approached the corner and went flying over the handle-bars of the scooter. She received a bloody nose, scraped shoulder and hip. All the "moms" went running to help - the "dads" just stood there watching. Joe's wife, Karoline asked him if he wasn't going to go and see if he could help and Joe's response, "I'm a trauma nurse, not a drama nurse!" We all got a good laugh. Within a few minutes Madeline had forgotten all about her tumble and was back on the scooter racing.

I have a cute video of Gracie on her scooter, but I'm having trouble uploading it.

Natalie and Baby Update

2010-05-10T21:16:00.001-04:00

Natalie just took a shower and she and Adam are walking the halls hoping to speed up the contractions. The doctor estimates a delivery time of 1:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. It's going to be a long night.

Natalie's in the Hospital

2010-05-10T19:07:00.003-04:00

Natalie is officially in labor and has been admitted at the hospital. Both Natalie and Adam seem to be doing quite well so far.

It's been one week . . .

2010-04-02T20:16:00.010-04:00

It's been one week since Punkin was hit by a car. The veterinarian didn't expect Punkin to make it through the night but she did. Her leg was amputated on Monday and we brought her home on Tuesday. She is so sweet. When I got home from work on Wednesday, Punkin was resting on her bed in the back mud room. I went upstairs to change my clothes before taking Punkin outside for awhile. When I went in the back room where Punkin was, she saw that I had my sweats on and I was putting on my tennis shoes. She got up from her bed, started whining, wiggling her body, and headed for the door. She wanted to go for a walk with me. She could hardly control herself she was so excited! She wanted to go for a walk with me. (Before Punkin's accident, Punkin and I would walk 3 1/5 to 5 miles every evening and she loved it!) I told Punkin she couldn't go for a walk with me yet, she needed to get better first. I did take her outside and walk around in the yard for a little while.

At two o'clock in the morning, Bob heard Punkin barking and got up to check on her. When he got to the back room, Punkin was standing by the door wanting to go out. So Bob grabbed his coat and put his shoes on and out they went. Punkin went out on the porch and gave three loud barks and then made a bee-line for the barn. Bob followed her and Punkin was insistent that she go in the barn. So Bob opened the door and Punkin went in and checked everything out. When she finished, she went to the barn basement door and started whining wanting in so Bob opened the door and went in with her and she checked out the basement of the barn and then was satisfied that everything was in order and went back to the house and back to bed.

Checotah and Lola are being very good to Punkin and they don't bother her much at all. Checotah came over to her today and Punkin licked Checotah's ears. All three of our dogs are the sweetest animals. Bob and I worked outside today in the yard. The weather was perfect - 80 degrees. The dogs enjoyed having us out there with them. Checotah and Lola saw something over in the wooded area and took off running and to my surprise Punkin went running with them. She is doing really well. We take her back to the veterinarian in another week to have the staples removed.

We didn't finish cleaning out all of our flower beds, but we got two of them done. Tina, we planted the perennials you sent home with me in this flower bed. I'm anxious to see how they grow here. Punkin was outside all day today.

We have got to find a more attractive way of watering our dogs.

Here you can see Punkin only has three legs.

Punkin is running in this picture. She is really getting around well.

Here's the second flower bed we worked on. We ran out of mulch before we finished with this bed. The buckets on the porch is what we collect the sap for making maple syrup. The season for collecting sap was very short this year and we'll only get about nine gallons of syrup.

Old Sturbridge Village

2010-04-01T20:17:00.003-04:00

It's been one week since I met Tina and Diane to spend the day touring Old Sturbridge Village. We had a wonderful time and learned a lot. The time went by much too quickly. We ended our day with dinner at the Publick Restaurant. Before being seated for dinner we took over the lobby and enjoyed visiting and exchanging gifts. Tina and Diane both made handmade gifts for me which I'll post about in another blog - soon. I would love to take my grandchildren to the village. I think they would love it!

Natalie's Baby Shower

2010-03-31T19:11:00.004-04:00

Natalie received beautiful gifts for the baby. Julie and Sarah had a unique way of packaging/wrapping the gift in three baskets just the color of the baby's room. The bottom basket was filled with a clothes-line with adorable baby clothes clothes-pinned to the line. Cute sayings - "If you think I'm cute you should see my uncle David" "I love my aunt Sarah".

He even got a leather Harley jacket and cap! Soooo cute!!

The shower was a "Candy Land" theme. This is the entrance.

Balloons and suckers welcomed the guests as they walked down the path.

The tables were decorated so cute. I cut off the balloons so you'll have to imagine them in this picture. The little white take-out boxes are empty so each guest can fill them with candy from a table filled with sweets! There is a new toothbrush tucked on the side of each box.

Here's the table with all the goodies we could choose from to put in our box.

Fruit juice and water station.

Those that had a sticker on the bottom of their plate received one of these gifts that was wrapped like a piece of candy.

My five beautiful daughters. Francie, Natalie, Rachael, Lori, Shannon

I forgot to take a picture of the buffet table. It was beautiful and the food delicious! The shower was so much fun and worth every mile I drove to attend.

Update on Punkin

2010-03-30T20:36:00.005-04:00

Punkin made it through the weekend and on Monday the veterinarian checked her and called us to let us know our options. We chose to have Punkin's leg amputated. She had the surgery on Monday and Bob picked her up from the hospital this morning. She is so sweet. Bob has taken her outside with him for awhile today and she loves it. She is doing really well getting around on just the three legs. Her biggest challenge right now is learning how to squat with one back leg.

Very Sad News

2010-03-27T21:32:00.002-04:00

On Friday our dog, Punkin Doodles, was injured. Bob had run errands and just returned home. Checotah and Lola came out to greet him, but Punkin didn't come - which was unusual. Checotah had blood all over her face. Bob wondered where Punkin was - he called and called for Punkin, but she didn't come. Punkin is very obedient and comes whenever called. So, Bob thought Punkin might be injured and maybe out in the back field, so he started walking out that direction. He didn't see her, and turned around to head back towards the house. Punkin was limping towards him from the house. She must have been under the porch. Her left back leg was just hanging there and she was hobbling on three legs and was bleeding. Bob loaded Punkin into the truck and headed for the veterinarian's office.

Bob thought that maybe Checotah and Punkin got into a fight, but the veterinarian said the injury was much more serious that what an animal could do. He thought she had probably been hit by a car.

Punkin has been sedated and has been made as comfortable as possible. The veterinarian didn't expect her to make it through the night - but she did. On Monday we will have to make a decision. Bob and I are so sad. Punkin has been our baby for 12 years. We love her very much.

Finally . . .

2010-03-14T19:56:00.003-04:00

It's been seventeen years since I started this quilt in a day project! I had signed up for a quilting class and made this log cabin cover project called a quilt in a day. My next class was on hand quilting so I decided to hand quilt the log cabin quilt in a day project that I had started. As you can tell, the colors of the quilt are outdated now, but it took me so long and was so much work I'm going to use it on my bed no matter if the colors are from the 90's. I don't think Bob is too excited about all the pink in this quilt, but he's a good sport and has let me use it anyway. He probably wishes it was still packed away in that clear tub that we toted around all these years - at least in the tote it was out of sight!

A few weeks ago, Bob started caning a chair he found in the barn. The directions indicated that re-caning a chair was a great weekend project. I had my doubts about "weekend project" after my 17 year quilt in a day project. But, the re-caning project only took two weekends and the chair looks great!

Bob enjoyed the project so much, he found another chair (one that we had hauled from California) that needed to be recaned and completed it in no time!

Bob said that the square seat was easier to cane than the round seat.

I'm thankful that Bob's caning project didn't take as long as my quilt project! Now if I could just finish the rest of my many unfinished projects.

The Surprise Party

2010-02-22T21:47:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Shannon, Jeff, and Madeline came over and brought me a birthday present and visited for a while. Bob had my antique clock repaired and gave that to me for my birthday present. I thought I'd had a great birthday - even though I celebrated a day early.

Today, my birthday, I went to work as usual, had a stressful day as usual, and returned home expecting to spend the evening alone (Bob is usually gone in the evening). However, that wasn't the case. When I arrived home, it looked like every light was on in the house and there were two cars in the driveway. It was a party! Bob had planned this party two weeks ago and invited Ryan, Lisa, and the kids; Shannon, Jeff, and Madeline; and Tony and Donna. He must have been very busy all day because the dinner was delicious and the table looked beautiful! Bob made home made dinner rolls, mashed potato casserole, corn, salad, and beets. For dessert he made lemon merigue pie and angel food cake (my favorite) without icing! It was a wonderful evening with presents too! Ryan had taken an old picture of my grandfather several months ago (I had actually forgotten he had taken it) and had it restored and framed. I just loved it. Ryan actually looks like my grandfather did when he was in his 30's. I received many wonderful gifts, cards, phone calls, e-mails and notes. This truly was a special day for me. Thank you to each of my children and friends for filling this day with love and memories I'll always cherish.

New Project

2010-02-18T21:59:00.004-05:00

Bob has been spending every spare minute cleaning out the barn so he can repair the floors in preparation for a big barn conference for his churches this coming June. The scrap metal pile is growing almost daily. Bob has found quite a few treasures and I enjoy my weekly tour of the barn to see the progress and take a look at the treasures. Bob has found several chairs. One chair didn't have any legs, but the rest of it was in good condition, so he thought he could nail it onto a log and use it for a stool. I agreed that would be a good idea as long as it stayed in the barn. A couple of the chairs were quite nice, but were in need of having the seats re-caned. We spent some time exploring information on-line which described the caning process as a good weekend project. So, Bob decided he'd give it a try. We ordered the supplies on Sunday and we found the package on the porch last night when we let the dogs inside to be put to bed for the night. So, tonight Bob started his project. Since he's starting on Thursday it'll give him a good head start and hopefully a completed chair by Sunday night.

I sure hope this project doesn't last as long as my quilt in a day project has lasted. I've managed to stretch my quilt project into 17 years. I guess we'll see who finishes their project first. I'll keep you posted.

Tale of Two Sundays

2010-01-17T20:38:00.004-05:00

Last Sunday Lisa and the kids were with us for the day. We started the day off making homemade donuts for breakfast. Gracie was the official donut icing girl and Hannah waited patiently for her turn.

After breakfast I played a few polkas on my accordion while the girls danced around in the living room.

For lunch grandpa made a German potato and dumpling soup and blooming onions. Both were delicious! These sweet onions are from our garden. We have a "ton" of them stored in the basement.

Here is what the blooming onion looks like after it has been battered and deep fried. They were a big hit with the kids - me too!!!

The boys enjoyed riding their snowmobiles while the girls made a snow fort.

Little Ryan came in with snow all over his face even on his eyebrows. The boys were having so much fun riding. However, I think they spent as much time fixing the snowmobiles and they did riding them. They managed to get one of the snowmobiles stuck in a snowbank not far from the orchard, so grandpa went out to help them. First they got the snow blower out and blew some of the snow and then used my Envoy with the four-wheel drive to pull it out.

This Sunday Bob and I were home alone. No guests for the weekend. I went out to the barn first thing in the morning with Bob to observe first hand our crazy chicken that prefers to eat breakfast with the cats rather than the chickens. And, the cats let it! Big Foot was eating with Tiger and the chicken too, but I scared it when I turned on the camera. He's camera shy.

Then Bob and I decided to go for a walk on the property using our snowshoes. It was the first time I had used mine.

We were gone for about two hours and had a great time. The dogs loved going for the walk with us.

I was a little hesitant when we were walking across an area that was filled with cat-tails. But all is well.

Run Away Comes Home

2010-01-16T19:58:00.005-05:00

While we were celebrating the holidays with family in Michigan and Oklahoma, we left the care of our beloved dogs, cats, and chickens in the very capable hands of our friends that have taken care of them many times over the past few years.

Bootsie, our female barn cat must not have appreciated our leaving her to be cared for by someone else, because she ran away from home. Bob and I were so upset that Bootsie was missing. However, Matthew was the most upset. Bootsie was Matthew's cat and had come to live in our barn while the family lived with us during their new home renovations. Then when they moved, Bootsie enjoyed the barn so much that Matthew left her with us since their new home didn't come with a barn.

Bootsie was gone for two weeks and we didn't think we would ever see her again. It was sad for me to think about what might have happened to her. I tried to convince myself that she had gone out looking for mice and she couldn't make it back to the barn because of all the snow.

When we arrived home from our trip we had at least three to four feet of snow on the ground. If fact our town made the national news - because of the amount of snow we received (60 inches in nine days and counting).

This morning when Bob went out to the barn to feed our other two cats (Tiger and Big Foot - Bootsie's two boys that we kept) and the chickens, he was so surprised to see Bootsie waiting to be fed. Of course when he came into the house to tell me, I immediately called Matthew to let him know - Bootsie had come home!!! We are all so happy that she made it back home safely. Now I just hope she isn't expecting kittens. We didn't want to get her fixed before we left and now it may be too late.

Bootsie

Homemade Bagels

2010-01-15T17:41:00.004-05:00

Today I decided to make bagels. I found a recipe in one of my cookbooks. I added rosemary (my favorite herb) to the raw dough. After mixing the dough it had to rest for 15 minutes. Then to form the bagels, you just roll a piece of the dough into a ball and then poke your finger throught the center and shape it. Not too difficult. Then you have to cover them and let them rise for about 30 minutes. Then you place the bagels under the broiler for a minute on both sides and then place in a pot of hot water (that is simmering on the stove) for seven minutes turning once. After removing from the hot water, drain on paper towels and then place on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes. They turned out really nice and I love the rosemary I added. Fresh homemade bagels are the best! I'll certainly be making these again.

Visiting Oklahoma City

2010-01-14T19:24:00.002-05:00

It's been much too long since I last blogged. Several reasons . . . one I thought I was too busy . . . two my computer was tooooooo slow and temperamental. Now, I have a new computer that's much faster! I still am quite busy, but I miss reading all the comments and I hope I haven't lost any of my readers. I could never catch up on all the events that have taken place since my last blog in September. But, I'm going to try and blog more regularly.

Bob and I took a quick trip to Oklahoma City right after Christmas to visit my mom. After her car accident last May she has been living with my brother but her health continues to deteriorate and he is no longer able to care for her. She is now living in a nursing home. When I spoke with one of the nurses prior to our visit, she told me that my mom was quite frail.

Madeline was with us when we went to Oklahoma and it was the first time she had met her great grandma Annie. Of course, grandma Annie was thrilled to meet her and quite surprised to see Bob and me too! Being in Michigan for Christmas made our trip to Oklahoma City only a long days drive. We stayed with my cousin, Francie and her husband Pat. We had a great time visiting with them. Francie's sister, Carla, and I were very close as little girls and both played the accordion. Carla died several years ago of brain cancer. Francie had been given Carla's accordion and she dug it out of the closet and I played several polkas, waltzes, and other favorites which brought back memories of all the fun we had doing programs for the patients at the mental hospital in Norman, Oklahoma. It was so much fun. Carla's accordion was blue and my was white. After I entertained Francie and Pat playing the accordion, Francie told me she wanted me to have Carla's accordion because she knew it meant a lot to me. So she took a picture of me playing the accordion and said she would remember the times Carla and I drove the whole family crazy with our practicing.

We spent two days in Oklahoma City most of each day we spent at the nursing home with mom. She is so frail. It's hard to believe that she has gone down so much. She was so happy to see us and meet Madeline. I played the accordion for her and I could she her tapping her toes on the floor - she even knew the title of several of the songs I played. The first day I played the accordion in her room with the door shut, but the second day I played in the main social hall and many of the residents gathered to listen.

We also were allowed to take mom out for a little drive which she thoroughly enjoyed! I'm so thankful that I took the time to visit mom. She's in a really nice nursing home and the nurses are very attentive and nice to her.

Here is mom showing her two new sweaters from Rachael, Derrick, and the kids.

Mom may be frail, but she can still "dish it out"! And, Bob didn't mind "dishing it right back"!

Mom and Madeline sharing cookies (from Lori and Todd) with the residents and nurses. She loved the icing covered sugar cookies so she saved those for herself.

Here I am playing the accordion that my cousin, Francie gave me. (that's Francie in the picture with me).

Sewing Project

2009-09-15T19:41:00.003-04:00

Several months ago my friend Cathy made a couple of skirts for her granddaughter and posted about them. They were really cute and she told me they were easy. So I asked her to send me the pattern. And, she did - six months later ( I might be exaggerating a bit). Since I had the day off work today, I decided to make a couple of skirts. One for Hannah and one for Gracie. I had a hard time picking out fabric because I wanted them to be able to wear them this fall and into early winter too. When I saw this fabric, it reminded me of western - cowboy - horses, and Hannah loves horses, so I decided to try it for the skirts.

Gracie and Hannah's skirts.

Hannah's Skirt

Gracie's Skirt

Thanks Cathy for sending the pattern. These were a lot of fun to make. I wish I knew where to buy them a cowboy hat (cheap). I'll take them over to them this Thursday evening after work.

Now I need to get busy and make some bibs for baby Bella. Lori tells me she is starting her on "real baby food" - homemade!

All is well . . .

2009-09-14T09:15:00.005-04:00

I made it through the night without any mishaps - although there were a lot of strange noises I wasn't sure about. It's a beautiful fall day and I am loving being home - I think I could get use to this. I planned to sleep in this morning, but I was wide awake at 5:30 a.m. So I got up and started my day. By 7:00 a.m. all the bathrooms were scrubbed, laundry was going, I took the trash out to the street for pick-up, and fed, watered, and played with all the animals. I do need to fill the bird feeders later this morning.

This little kitty is solid black. Isn't it cute? The last litter produced a solid gray kitty.

Group picture. I couldn't get a picture with them all looking at me. There are two black kitties and four striped. Four boys and two girls. And, they are all up for adoption. Hope some of you can help me out here. As soon as Bootsie weens these kittens, she is going to see Dr. Putman. Although it is fun having kittens.

Here are our three cats enjoying their breakfast. Bootsie and two of her babies from the last litter, Big Foot and Tiger. We found homes for two of the kittens, but these two didn't have a home. Bob, became attached to them, but decided that he should find a home, so he put them in a cage and went to Walmart hoping to find someone in the parking lot that wanted a nice kitten. Well, he changed his mind when he got to Walmart. So he went in to the store and bought more cat food and brought both of the boys home with him. So, now we have three cats and that's our limit. They have visited Dr. Putman, so all is well there. They love living in the barn and they play in the chicken yard with the chickens. Maybe that's why Bootsie moved her kittens to one of the chicken's nesting boxes in the hen house. Could it be the cats think they are chickens?

Hide 'n Seek

2009-09-13T20:38:00.003-04:00

I've been out of town for a few days, so when I returned home today, I wanted to check on all our pets, gather the eggs, and work in the flower beds. The dogs were easy to check on because all three of them were wagging their tails and wanting attention. They are such sweet dogs. And, so good! They stay on the property and appear to stay out of trouble while we are gone. At least they haven't been caught being naughty. No call from the dog catcher, and no injured dogs from playing in the busy road in front of our house.

Last week, Bob told me that Bootsie (our adopted barn cat who now has six kittens) had moved her kittens again. She just isn't happy with people disturbing her and the kittens so she keeps moving them all over in the barn. Bob was down in the basement of the barn where the chickens roost and nesting boxes are located. He kept hearing meows, so he started investigating. He found two of the kittens on the floor of the chicken house. They had fallen from the main floor of the barn through a whole in the floor. They were fine because they had landed on a pile of hay (lucky for them). Bob took them upstairs and found the old cat carrier and put hay in it and put all six kittens in it and put it over in a secluded corner and then placed a board over the whole in the floor, so if the kittens ventured out, they wouldn't fall through to the basement. Today when I went to the barn to check on the kittens (I really wanted to just play with them) I checked the entire first floor of the barn looking everywhere, but no kittens. I was afraid that maybe something had gotten into the barn and something might have happened to those little kitties. But I kept looking, but no luck.

Then I went downstairs to the basement of the barn to check on the chickens and gather the eggs, and when I checked inside one of the nesting boxes, there were four little eyes looking back at me. Two of the little kittens were in the nesting box. Bootsie must have moved the kittens to the basement, but there were only two. I checked all the nesting boxes and gathered the eggs and then went over to check inside of a wooden box that was hanging from the wall in the chicken house and there were the other four little kittens. I went and gathered the two little adventurous kittens and put them in with the other four kittens. They are the cutest little kittens and so sweet. They love to be held. Bootsie, Big Foot, and Tiger all went out into the chicken yard with me to check on the chickens. The chickens seemed to be fine with no casualties since the raccoon was taken care of by Punkin a couple weeks ago.

We thought we had lost our banty chicken to the raccoon, but Bob found her nesting over in the small barn. We should have ten banty eggs hatching any day now - but I won't be checking to see when they hatch, because that little banty is mean.

As I walked out of the basement barn door, my faithful dogs were sitting there waiting for me.

I wish I knew the dogs were out on the front porch right now, because there are noises out there and I'm not sure what it might be. The dogs are in the back room sleeping. Maybe I'll go let them outside to do some investigation.

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

2009-09-09T21:43:00.002-04:00

I guess the saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure" is a true statement. At least it worked at our garage and barn sale this past weekend. Bob spent quit a bit of time cleaning out the barn and gluing chairs and tables back together and I spent just as much time going through every room in the house and the back unfinished "catch-all" room. We cleaned and organized everything, borrowed six tables from the church, priced every item. We had a great time visiting with all the neighbors that came by. And when it was all said and done we totaled up the money and made $1,050. I'd say that was worth all the work we put into it. We're going to have another one next spring and hopefully get rid of all the extra stuff we don't need or use that I couldn't bare to part with this time.

Blueberries and Raspberries

2009-07-20T18:30:00.004-04:00

Sunday, Bob and I decided to go and pick blueberries. The weather was perfect - sunny with a cool breeze. We picked 53 pounds of berries. Bob went back today and picked another 39 pounds. We washed and bagged a good part of them to freeze, but left a box out for us to eat fresh.

The bushes were loaded and it was easy picking.

Bob's been a picker since he could walk - in fact when he was a toddler, he took his favorite blanket with him to pick green beans and remembered he had left it in the field when they were on their way home. He cried and cried, but his mom would not turn around and go back to get it. I'm told she was thankful he forgot it.

The berries were nice and big.

We received a recipe from the berry farm - "Grandma Hafner's Fresh Blueberry Pie" and we decided to try it. Bob is making two baked crusts. One for us and one for me to take to work.

Before I left for work, I (with Bob' help) put the pie together. I whipped cream cheese and a little cool whip together and spread on the bottom and sides of the baked shell.

Then we followed the recipe for the filling.

Grandma Hafner's Fresh Blueberry Pie

3 cups fresh blueberries

2/3 cup water

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 T lemon juice

1 baked pie crust

Mix 1 cup blueberries, water, cornstarch, and sugar together in saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. The blueberries will burst and the mixture will become dark purple. When thick, remove from heat, add the lemon juice and the 2 cups of remaining blueberries, and pour into baked pie shell. Cool for at least 2 hours. Serve with whipped cream.

The office staff enjoyed the pie I took and so did I!

When I came home from work today, there were ten quarts of raspberries waiting for me. Our raspberry bushes are doing great this year. We have three different varieties; June berries - Taylor and Purple Royal, and the ever-bearer is Fall Red.

I'm glad I didn't say, "I told you so!"

2009-06-25T06:39:00.005-04:00

Bob thought it would be fun to let one of the chickens hatch little chicks. Once this hen started sitting or setting (I don't know which one to use), she was not very friendly. She would squawk and peck at you if you came near her. Bob didn't care what she did, he would pick her up to see if any of the chicks had hatched. One morning when he went to the barn to feed and water the chickens and to check on the setting hen, she was especially spatty and fussy, but Bob picked her up anyway and four little chicks fell from under her wings. She had two little yellow chicks and two black.

When I found out about the chicks, I thought we should bring them into the house and bring in the washtub for them to grow-up in. Bob wouldn't hear any of that. He said hens have had chicks in barns for many years and somehow they survive without being raised in a kitchen. The hen is very protective and if any of the other hens or roosters come close, she lets them have it. She has even pulled some feathers out of a hen that got to close.

The chicks do just what their mother does. When she scratches at the food on the ground, they copy her. It's so cute. And when she calls them, they come running and get under her wings. The chicks have been getting through the fence and the mother hen has a fit. When I saw this, I of course told Bob we should definitely bring them in the house till they got older. Nope. That didn't happen.

On Monday evening, Bob went out to gather the eggs and make sure all the chickens were inside. All but the mother hen was in the chicken house. She was huddled outside with all four baby chicks underneath her. It was beginning to rain, so Bob didn't think he should just leave her there, so he braved the pecking and gathered the hen and her chicks and took them inside and put them in one of the nesting boxes.

The next evening, once again the mother hen was outside with her baby chicks underneath her. It wasn't raining, so Bob decided to let her stay there. The next morning when Bob checked on them, they were all running around in the fenced in pen.

That evening when Bob went out to gather the eggs, the mother hen was inside in the highest nesting box - just sitting there. Bob looked all around for the little chicks, but he couldn't find them. When he came in he told me that either a snake or the cats must have eaten the chicks because he couldn't find them anywhere. That's when I wanted to say, "See I told you so" but I didn't. It was really sad to hear about those little chicks because they were so cute - and seemed to be quite happy.

Once again in the morning, Bob went out to feed the chickens and out in the chicken yard was the mother hen and all four chicks. They must have been underneath her in that top nesting box. How did they get there? They can't fly yet. I wonder if they got on the mother hen's back and she flew up there with them?

I was so thankful that they were safe. They are so cute.

We also have a strawberry patch this year. Here grandpa and Madeline are picking strawberries for our supper. The strawberries are really good - very sweet. I wish there were enough to freeze or make jam. Bob says next year we should have plenty. We've been sharing this year's crop with the deer. They seem to like them as much as we do. Bob will probably have to fence the strawberry patch.

Our three dogs just can't get enough attention. And, if they see Bob petting one of the other dogs, they become jealous and come running wanting attention too. They are such good dogs. Yesterday, I got a call on my cell phone while I was at work - and I was able to find my phone, in the bottomless pit of a purse I carry before it stopped ringing. It was the county clerk's office telling me that Punkin Doodles - and I was thinking, oh, great, Punkin has gotten out in the road and has been hit by a car - dog license expires the end of the month. I let her know that I had the renewal license and check on my dining room table ready to bring in.

Grandpa and Madeline went to the barn to check on the chickens and play with the cats. That's right, cats. Bootsie had kittens and we had homes for all four and then one of the families didn't want to wait six weeks for them, so they got some elsewhere. So, we couldn't find homes for the two leftovers and Bob has named them so there's no way he's going to give them away. Madeline asked grandpa if she could have the one she is holding and he said sure. Then she said her mom said she could have it, but it had to live at his house. She named it Oreo - grandpa calls it Patches. I hope the cat doesn't get too confused with his names. The other kitten he named big foot because it has seven toes on each foot. We have got to take all three cats and Checotah in to be fixed. I do not want more animals. Enough is enough!!!

Bob wanted a picture of us in front of the barn before he shaved off his beard. I refused to let him catch a chicken to hold for the picture - he wasn't happy about it either.

May Birthday Celebrations

2009-06-22T18:50:00.006-04:00

The end of May we had a birthday celebration for Bob, Lisa, and Matthew. Ryan made grilled vegetable kabob's which were a big hit. Matthew is getting the vegetables on the sticks.

Ryan cut the vegetables up the night before and then marinated them in Italian salad dressing.

We must have made over 50 of these and I thought there would be quite a few left-over, but there wasn't one left.

The menu: hot dogs, potato salad, baked beans, pickled okra, fresh lemonade, angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream, chocolate cake, fruit pizza, and maple walnut ice cream.

Lisa's parents, James, John, Seth, and his girlfriend came over too. John liked the homemade ice cream Bob made.

Hannah just enjoyed picking at the pizza.

Gracie had an earache so Shannon is holding her with a blanket wrapped around her. It was really cold and windy!

I should have taken more pictures of everyone, but I was busy making sure everyone had enough food to eat.

Celebration Done - Beard Gone!

2009-06-20T21:23:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, the Roosevelt SDA Church held it 150th year celebration. Bob has been growing a beard since December in hopes of looking like the pioneers 150 years ago. I certainly think he accomplished his goal. He wore his grandfathers bow-tie, hat, and carried his cane. I purchased an 1800's hat from an antique store and bought fabric and a pattern and made my dress to match the hat.

Just as promised, as soon as the celebration was over, Bob shaved off that beard!!!

One step at a time . . .

Almost there . . .

The members told Bob today that he looks 15 to 20 years younger without that beard.

What do you think?

Sunday Morning Update

2009-05-24T08:57:00.002-04:00

Mom is still sleeping (8:05 a.m. central time). Her breakfast is here, but I don't want to wake her up she's sleeping so soundly. Natalie spent the night with her. She said that around 3:00 a.m. her fever broke and her hospital gown was soaked. She had the nurse come in and change her gown. I arrived shortly before 7:30 a.m. and Natalie went back to the motel to clean-up and get packed. I haven't decided for sure if I'll ride back with he girls and catch a flight to Buffalo (where my car is parked) or stay and fly out of OKC. I'll wait to talk with the doctor before making my final decision.

I'll keep you posted.

Some Good News

2009-05-23T17:30:00.002-04:00

Today started off with a report that was anything but good. Mom refused to eat breakfast and continued on her ornery stage performance. When the physical therapist came in and wanted her to sit up, she fussed and refused - however, with a little encouragement and because she didn't have the strength to do what she wanted, the physical therapist won! However, mom took her hand and patted the therapist until she got to the upper part of the arm and then she pinched her. The therapist was a good sport about it and we had a good laugh. Mom had to dangle her legs over the side of the bed and then she had to raise each one ten times - which mom did with no problem. After the therapist left, mom took a little nap. When she woke up her sweet side came out and she was thanking us for being there and telling us how much she appreciated us. She ate chocolate pudding for lunch and enjoyed it very much. I spent quite some time asking her questions about her dad, mother, grandparents, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren and she knew the answers. We were all amazed. Shortly after lunch, the girls and I went over to Francie's house (my cousin) for lunch and then took a drive past our old house and grandma's old house before heading back for the hospital. While we were gone, Donnie, Velie, and Robert were visiting mom/grandma at the hospital. When we arrived back at the hospital we were surprised to find out she was being moved from ICU to a private room. That's good news! We heard from the nurse that the CT scan that was taken this morning didn't show any significant change. The doctor said that mom is on a roller coaster and if mom doesn't get pneumonia, or an infection, she'll have a good chance of recovery - however a long one.

Mom has just been moved to her new room and is comfortable and waiting for her supper. She has a new telephone number so give us a call on our cell phone for the new number.

Saturday Morning Update

2009-05-23T09:48:00.002-04:00

The doctor came in Friday night around 10:00 p.m. I had just left. The doctor had already been in to see her this morning when I arrived around 7:30 a.m. He said she wasn't doing well and had ordered another CT scan. She has just gotten back to her room from the scan. She wouldn't eat any breakfast this morning and is being very ornery telling me that she wants to be in a real hospital and then she told me that she wanted Donnie not me - to call Donnie and tell him to get here NOW! She told the nurses this morning that she wanted a nurse and when they told her they were her nurses, she told them she wanted real nurses not them. She is very demanding telling the nurse that she wants a blanket - lots of them. The doctor did say that her waving her hand around and kicking her feet and telling everyone what to do is a good thing. Better than her just laying in bed doing nothing. She doesn't look good and tells me that she hurts all over. I did mention to the doctor that I was from New York and was planning on going home Sunday night - he said I shouldn't leave for a few days. He doesn't see her improving. The doctor said he would get back with me as soon as he sees the CT scan.

Once again, I can't get on the internet in her room, so I have to go to the waiting room to update. Francie, Natalie, and Kristen are up here now, so I feel I can leave the room to do updates. I'll update again when I have any new news.

I'll wait to make a decision as to when I leave until Sunday evening.

Friday Update

2009-05-22T19:36:00.004-04:00

I have been unable to access the internet today until now. All week I have been able to use the internet in mom's room, but today it was unavailable. The nurses checked to find out why I couldn't get online and found out that the service isn't available in ICU. Hum . . . I used it Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Anyway I'm able to use it in the waiting room. I didn't want to leave mom to come out to blog, but all visitors are required to leave ICU from 6:30 to 7:30 am and pm. So here I am.

Francie, Natalie, and Kristen arrived in Oklahoma City early this morning and got a few hours of sleep in the motel before heading over to the hospital. I arrived at 7:30 a.m. and thought mom looked better. The swelling in her face looked better and she was alert and talking a little to me. I fed her breakfast, grits and milk, and she seemed to be having difficulty clearing her throat. The nurse tried to put a suction tube down her throat and mom would have none of that. So a respiratory therapist came and gave her a breathing treatment which helped. The physician assistant came in and changed her bandage and removed the draining tube. Mom's incision is about 4 inches long. The doctor invited us to take a look at the CT scan that was taken yesterday. He said it looked good but once again mentioned his concern about the brusing in the brain. He said that she has about a 50 percent chance of making it, but if he was betting, he would bet on her. Mom ate lunch; tomato soup, milk, and a little cranberry juice. She didn't seem as sleepy today as yesterday. But after lunch she started having tremors on the left side of her face. She is unable to move her left arm or hand and her left hand is quite swollen. The doctor wanted the nurses to help mom get up today and sit in a chair, so shortly after lunch the nurses helped her up and she sat in a chair for a few hours. The tremors seemed to become more severe so the nurse contacted the doctor. They believe it might be seizures and have given her anti-seizure medication. She has been moved back into her bed, but continues having the seizures and is asleep and is not responding to my questions as she did in the past. Because of the seizures she was unable to have supper.

Your continued prayers will be appreciated.

Thursday afternoon update

2009-05-21T14:47:00.003-04:00

Mom ate a little lemon pudding and drank some milk for lunch today. She has been sleeping most of the day except when we try to talk to her and bother her. She immediately falls back asleep. They are taking her now to get the CT scan. We had a good lunch that a couple from the church brought up to us. Francie (my cousin) is here. She took care of mom while I ran to her house to shower and change clothes.

Doctor's Report

2009-05-21T09:47:00.001-04:00

I fed mom breakfast this morning. She ate a little cream of wheat, drank some milk and a sip of orange juice before falling back to sleep.

The doctor came in to see her. He ordered another scan of the brain. The right side of her head is very swollen and there has been no drainage. She has lost some of her grip in her left hand which the doctor contributes to the bruising in the brain. He wasn't too encouraging as to her progress so far. He requested that he talk to Rachael and fortunately I was able to reach her on her cell phone. The doctor doesn't see her improving. I'm very worried about her.

The nurse just now took her temperature and it is down a little.

Natalie and Francie are leaving today to come to Oklahom City to be with grandma.

We both made it through the night

2009-05-21T06:55:00.002-04:00

The night went by rather quickly with not much sleep for either one of us. The room is so cold, I can hardly stand it. Mom is running a fever, but is able to answer questions correctly every hour. The doctor ordered a chest x-ray which they came and did around 5:00 a.m. Many of her I-V's have been removed which should make her more comfortable. She keeps asking when she can go home. Her nurse said she is doing pretty good. The nurses here are wonderful. They are so sweet to mom - treating her with love, respect, and care. The doctor will be in sometime this morning. I'll wait to go to Francie's (my cousin) house to clean up until after the doctor comes in. I don't want to miss him.

I slept (napped) in a semi-reclining chair with several blankets.

I'm spending the night

2009-05-20T23:27:00.002-04:00

I'm going to spend the night at the hospital. My mom's blood pressure is high now and the nurse just gave her something to help bring it down. She was a little confused a little while ago, answering the nurses questions, "where are you?" "India" She didn't know the year, or month, and didn't know who I was. But, since the nurse has asked her questions again, and she answered them correctly. She keeps calling out for someone to help her, and then says she wants to go home. She's asking where Donnie is. She says she can't stand it.

Poor mom, I wish there was something I could do for her.

A couple of church members came up just a little while ago and several of the members will be bringing lunch and supper to the hospital for the family the next few days. I thought that was really thoughtful of them.

Mom's room is really cold. I'm freezing. I'm going to try and get a little sleep, but I'll post if there is any change.

Update

2009-05-20T20:53:00.001-04:00

Grandma is back in her room in ICU. Her coloring is good. She woke up and knows that she has had the surgery and knows who we are. She's sleeping now.

Waiting

2009-05-20T20:09:00.001-04:00

We were told to go to the ICU waiting room and a nurse would be out to talk to us. We've been waiting for at least a half hour. No nurse. Wondering what's going on.

Doctor's Report

2009-05-20T18:50:00.002-04:00

The surgery is over and grandma is in recovery. The report wasn't as good as I had hoped. But, she made it through the surgery. He is concerned about the expanding of the brain. But most of all, his concern is with the bruising she has on the brain. He said she would be in the hospital for weeks and then go to rehab. He is concerned about her age and the severe bruising on the brain - he even mentioned that she might not make it but he is hopeful.

Update

2009-05-20T18:26:00.001-04:00

Just received word that she is doing well - still in surgery - might be another hour.

No news

2009-05-20T18:12:00.000-04:00

It's 5:10 p.m. central time - we've heard no news.

Update

2009-05-20T17:51:00.001-04:00

4:50 p.m. central time - no new news.

Just taken into surgery

2009-05-20T17:26:00.002-04:00

4:25 central time mom was taken into surgery. The doctor said it should take about 45 minutes to an hour. A little bit different time frame than what the other doctor told us.

Still Waiting

2009-05-20T17:03:00.002-04:00

The anesthesiologist just came in and talked to us - the doctor should be here in a few minutes. The surgery will take about an hour and a half then she will be in recovery for about an hour. They will come out to the waiting room and keep us updated.

Update

2009-05-20T16:26:00.002-04:00

Mom is in the pre-op room. She was dizzy when she arrived here and her heart rate dropped. She complained that she was going to pass out. She seems to be resting now.

Just a few thoughts

2009-05-20T14:50:00.002-04:00

Last night (Tuesday evening) grandma ate stewed tomatoes, roll and butter, and drank milk. She was alert all day and very chatty.

Today, she isn't doing anything but sleeping. She is hurting all over (she says).

Just a little over an hour before the scheduled surgery. Donnie, Velie, and Robert are all here. Donnie is reading over the paperwork that has to be completed and signed.

Prayers please.

12:30 p.m. update

2009-05-20T13:41:00.002-04:00

The nurse just came in and took grandma's vitals. They are fine. The nurse woke her up and asked her her name, where she was, and what year it is, and she was able to answer them all. She immediately fell back asleep and is sleeping now.

Update on Grandma Annie

2009-05-20T12:19:00.002-04:00

This morning when I arrived at the hospital, my mom was still sleeping. She is still sleeping - talking to us when we ask questions, saying she justs wants to go home. She says she doesn't feel well. She had a fever last night. I spoke with the doctor this morning and asked for the surgery to be scheduled for today. He scheduled it for 3:15 p.m. today. My brother has agreed for her to have the surgery and says he will sign the papers this afternoon. It's so sad to see mom just laying there not wanting to talk or visit. I'll update throughout the day.

I'm in Oklahoma City

2009-05-19T13:16:00.003-04:00

Grandma Annie

My mom and me.

Grandma Annie and Francie (my cousin)

Monday around 5:15 p.m. I received a call from my cousin telling me that my mom had been in a car accident and was in the intensive care unit with bleeding on her brain. Soon after arriving at home, Rachael and Lori had made arrangements for me to fly to OKC. I left at 1:30 a.m. to drive to the airport and catch my flight. I had a connecting flight in Chicago. I arrived in OKC around 9:30 a.m. I'm now at the hospital with my mom. She's pretty spunky but her injuries are quite serious and she is scheduled for surgery today at 2:30 p.m. Rachael has spoken with the neurologist so I'm thankful for that.

You're Not Going To Believe This . . .

2009-05-09T17:00:00.010-04:00

We've been having a wonderful time visiting Moscow. We have the absolute best tour guide, host, and entertainer - all in one. Today, Tami taught us how to use gypsy cabs which is another term for hitch-hiking. I would never hitch-hike in the states, but in Moscow, it's O.K. You just stand on the side of the road and stick your hand out and a car soon pulls over and you agree on the price and everyone jumps in and off you go to your destination. Jack loves hitch-hiking and spent some time this evening (I should say, wee hours of the morning) talking to his dad, grandma and grandpa about our adventures.

Today was Victory Day here in Russia. A time when they celebrate and honor the end of World War II and those that served in the military. It is a tradition to honor the World War IIveter veterans by giving them a flower and the children gave white tulips to one of the soldiers they met. Victory Park was packed with people. Each adult held tightly the little hand of an assigned child. To get to the park we took the subway - Chris drove and met us there. The flowers were beautiful at the park and we enjoyed walking around. The children especially enjoyed climbing all over the war tanks that were on display. There was a beautiful display of fireworks to end the day of celebrations.

And, that's when we realized that this was a once in a life time event to attend, because the crowd was overwhelming. There were thousands and thousands of people. We held tightly to the children's hands and stayed close together. Chris had driven the car and parked there, so we divided up the gang into two groups - those that would ride in the family car and the other group that would hitch-hike home. Tina and Chris took the little girls and headed for the car. It took them quite a long time to get through the crowd - having to walk through a tunnel under the street - once on the other side they were ushered by uniformed police wearing helmets and holding a club to another area - an area they didn't want to go because it was in the opposite direction of the car. Since they had children with them, the police allowed them to climb over the fence rather than go around in a different direction. Chris climbed over the fence and the kids climbed through the spaces between the bars of the fence. Tina had a little problem deciding how she was going to get over the fence and decided to try the way the children did it hoping she wouldn't get stuck. She made it just fine! The second group that consisted of Tami, Rachael, Jack, and me were pushed and shoved along with the other thousands of people to find another way home. The subways had been closed because of the large crowd. You could tell that people weren't sure what they were going to do. The streets were lined with police - you weren't allowed to cross the street. Finally, Tami noticed a bus that was going in the direction we needed to go, so we got on. The bus was packed with not even standing room available before the driver finally took off. Before reaching the designated destination, the bus stopped and everyone was ordered off. Following along once again with the crowd (still thousands) and streets lined with police. The police were making people go around a block rather than go across the street and fortunately, Tami, was able to convince one of the police officers that we had to go across the street and he let all four of us go. As soon as we were able, we stepped out into the street and - yes, we hitch-hiked at 11:45 p.m.

When we arrived home, Chris and the rest of the gang still weren't home and we didn't have a key to the apartment. To make things worse, Rachael and Tami needed a "potty". I suggested using the large bush in the front of the apartment building, but they both shook their head at that idea. So I suggested that they knock on the door of the apartment that had lights on - which they thought was a good idea - only to be disappointed by no one answering the door. So we walked about a mile to a little coffee shop. Fortunately when Chris and the gang got home and realized that we hadn't made it home yet, he called and we begged for him to come and pick us up at the coffee shop.

Soon everyone was home and having a great time talking about the adventures of the day. It's now 2:15 a.m. and almost everyone has gone to bed. Tina and I are still up but I think that's going to change real soon - as soon as I post this. I'll probably need to edit this later. . .

Tami put a few pictures on here for me, and I accidentally deleted some of them. I'm not sure how. We have lots of pictures and I'm sure Tami and Rachael will be posting pictures just as soon as we all get a little sleep.

This and That

2009-04-15T21:09:00.004-04:00

While I was in Michigan spoiling my newborn granddaughter, Isabella, our barn cat had four kittens. Bob had moved the large oval shaped washtub (the one that had been home to Liesel, Tina's dog, while we were waiting for Tina to come and start the spoiling process) also the washtub was home to twelve baby chicks last summer - both times the washtub was housed in my kitchen - this time Bob placed it in the perfect spot in the barn and put hay in the bottom and a quilt on top so Bootsey (the barn cat) would have a nice place to have her babies. Bootsey was not pleased with our selection of a birthing room and chose her own on the second story of the hay loft in the larger of our two barns. In order for us to see the kittens we have to climb up a very old ladder into the hay loft and then up to the next loft above that.

Here is Bob on the first loft level(yes, he still has that beard - until the middle of June).

Bootsey isn't too pleased that we are spoiling her new babies. She knows that after we get tired of them we'll give them back to her and then she'll have to settle them all down again.

Kittens are just so cute. Three of them are tiger stripped and one is solid gray with blue eyes. Their eyes have just opened.

Aren't they just adorable? We have homes for two of them but we need good homes for the other two. We had homes for all four before they were born and then the family that wanted two of them got restless and went to the humane society and got two cats.

This is Bootsey's choice of a birthing room.

Finally, signs of spring.

Hannah and Matthew came over this past Sabbath to play with the kittens and Hannah picked me a bouquet of daffodils which now brighten my dining room table.

I made this purse, and I'm so disappointed that this picture doesn't show the pleats. The purse has pleats on the front and back of the purse that took me three hours to pleat and stitch.

It's much bigger than I thought it would be.

On the inside I made a hanging pocket with a zipper for my camera and cell phone.

Shannon and Madeline came over on Sunday and we had a great time together. Shannon made a purse for herself and I made one for a friend at work. My batteries were dead so I couldn't take a picture.

Bob has started working in the garden already - he has planted strawberry plants, three more rows of raspberry plants, onions, and potatoes. We have 20 gallons of maple syrup this year from the sap Bob gathered in March.

I'm going to try and take some maple syrup to Russia for Tamara and her family. I'm not quite sure how to pack it. Any ideas?

I'm going to . . . You're not going to believe this one

2009-04-09T21:22:00.006-04:00

This past Sunday morning, I packed the car, with the help from Todd and began the long 12 hour trip home. Tears streaming down my cheeks as I pull out of the drive-way waving towards the windows of the house that I can't see through, but am hoping the kids are waving back at me. By the time I reached Indiana the tears had stopped, but not my desire to be back with my girls and grandchildren in Michigan.

The trip was - for the most part - uneventful. Derrick's parents had given me The Hiding Place by Corrie Tin Boon on CD and I enjoyed every minute of it. I made only one stop to fill up with gasoline and a quick potty break - and oh, there was one more stop - the "door ajar"light came on shortly after I had just passed Buffalo so I pulled over on the highway and re-arranged the back luggage and re closed the door. I returned to my seat anxious to get going to continue listening to my story - only to discover the light "door ajar" was still on. I got back out - opened the door that didn't seem to be ajar in any way, reshuffled the stuff inside and re closed the door. That's when I realized that it was the window and not the door. I never open the window in the back of the vehicle, so I'm not sure how it popped open after so many hours of driving but it did. Soon I was back on the road.

I decided that since I had made my trip is such record time I would stop by Shannon's house and meet Charlie, Madeline's new dog. It's really quite hard to find your cell phone in a purse the size of a small suitcase, find the number on the contact list, watch for cops - you get ticketed in New York in you are caught talking on a cell phone - and watch out for the cars that are passing because you're paying too much attention to the story on CD's. Finally, I turned off the CD player so I could concentrate on the phone call. Soon I arrived at Shannon's and enjoyed a serving of homemade vegetarian pot pie while we waited for Madelin, Andy, and Charlie to get home from the park. Soon they arrive and I meet the sweetest dog I think I've ever met - excluding my three (Punkin, Lola, and Checotah) of course. And then there is Calvin, Carl, and Stella - Rachael's dogs - And of course there's Brewster, Lori's dog - And then Molly, Ryan's dog - And I can't forget Walter, Natalie's dog. But Charlie is a really sweet well behaved dog that Madeline just adores. I remember some time back when I was visiting at Rachael's house and her nanny didn't seem to mind the two big dogs running around in the house. I made some comment to her about the animals and she told me that you can tell what kind of person the owner is by the way their dogs act. Interestingly enough, I've found that statement to be true! Except for poor Tina and her dog Liesel.

I arrived at home late Sunday evening. Bob wasn't at home so I hauled everything into the kitchen and then began carrying each box, suitcase, etc to the correct room. It didn't take long to put everything away and I was soon ready for bed. Five thirty A.M. came much too soon on Monday morning, but I managed to pull myself together and head for work. Upon my arrival to my office, I opened the door to see a beautiful gift basket sitting on my desk. I picked up the card and opened it. It was from my boss - "Welcome back" was on the inside of the card. My week was extremely busy, but rewarding. I took the basket home and Bob and I enjoyed unwrapping the clear plastic wrap and looking at the treasures - an antique hummingbird feeder and food - a suet feeder and food - a copper bird feeder and food - Bob and I will both enjoy this thoughtful gift.

Monday morning, I checked the blogs that I read to see if there was any new news. There was nothing new with my girls, so I continued looking at the other blogs I read. I noticed that on Tamara's blog she blogged about a ridiculous low round-trip price ticket to Moscow. I thought to myself - that's a great deal - in the back of my mind I was wishing I could take her up on the offer she put out to - I'm sure it wasn't for me - why she only knows me through her mom and my daughter, Rachael.

Later that morning, I checked my e-mails and there was one from Tina. I clicked on the message and I couldn't believe what I was reading. Tina had just informed me that Rachael, Katya, and Jack were going to Russia. Tina suggested that we both go too! Tina had already called her daughter and had all the accommodations, meals, and entertainment taken care of. All that was needed was a "yes" from me. I wanted to stand up and jump up and down, but I needed to get back to work - so I quickly e-mailed Tina to let her know I would talk to Bob when I got home from work and get back with her on Tuesday.

Once I got home I called Rachael and we talked about what all would be involved with going. It sounded so complicated. Not only did I need a passport (which I already have) I would have to get a visa. I had no idea how to go about getting a visa and then I would have to drive to JFK because that's where the cheap flight originates from. I was too tired and decided that I couldn't go. On Tuesday I couldn't get my mind off the chance of a life-time to visit Russia. I mentioned the opportunity to my boss and he told me to change the committee meetings to another day, notify the pastors, and go! Bob had told me I should go the night before - but I wasn't sure. I wanted to, but I was a little apprehensive about flying. Then I remembered the e-mail I received from my friend Cathy in California - she was right - I would fly again.

I got home on Wednesday evening much too late to call Rachael and let her know that I wanted to go with her and the kids to Russia, so I e-mailed her and then I e-mailed Tina too.

Rachael purchased my ticket today - Tina's daughter purchased her ticket today and we will all be traveling to Russia (Rachael had already purchased her ticket and the children's). I'm so excited!!! I can't believe I'm going to Russia!!! What am I going to wear?

I've Been Busy!

2009-03-28T16:10:00.003-04:00

I left New York Wednesday morning around 8:04 a.m. and arrived at the hospital in Michigan at 5:35 p.m. It usually takes me twelve hours to drive from New York to Michigan. I guess there must not have been as much traffic!

Since arriving, I've been very busy, but loving every minute of it. Tony and I have gone grocery shopping twice. Thursday evening Rachael and the family and Francie came over to Todd and Lori's for dinner. Friday evening, everyone went to Rachael and Derrick's house for dinner. Natalie and Adam arrived Thursday night and Natalie joined us for dinner on Friday. Adam wasn't feeling too good, so he stayed home for the evening. Today, Sabbath, I took Anthony to Sabbath School. I wasn't sure if I could handle him for both church and Sabbath school, so I opted for just Sabbath school. Francie met me there to help. Tony sure loves participating in the program. Todd arrived shortly after the program had begun - so the three of us took turns helping Tony with the activities. Today is Derrick's birthday, so we celebrated at Lori and Todd's house for lunch. Rachael brought two cakes and I made lunch. Adam was feeling better so everyone came for the celebration.

Right now, Lori and Isabella are taking a nap and so is Tony. The house is really quiet. Baby Isabella is so cute and she is such a good baby - so far she has only cried when she is hungry. I'm enjoying spending time with both Tony and Isabella.

I feel very honored to have one of my grandchildren named after me. Todd wanted Isabella's middle name to be my first name, Cecelia, but Lori thought that would be a little too much of a name for such a little girl - so they decided to use my middle name as Isabella's middle name. What an honor for me.

Bob and I now have 19 grandchildren. We still get excited when we hear about another new grandchild and just as anxious to get to hold them for the first time. Each grandchild holds a very special place in our family.

Here are a few pictures that were taken the first evening Isabella arrived home.

She is just beautiful!

The spoiling process has begun.

Anthony meeting his little sister at home. Todd's parents live close by so they took care of Anthony and brought him up to the hospital to meet his new little sister. I heard that Anthony wasn't quite sure what this new baby sister thing was all about.

Pictures

2009-03-24T10:56:00.002-04:00

Baby Update

2009-03-24T09:42:00.002-04:00

Baby Isabella weighs 8# 0 oz; 20 1/4 inches long and has lots of light brown hair. She is nursing and then Lori is hoping to get a much needed nap. Momma and baby are doing great! I haven't heard how daddy is doing. I'm sure he is very excited though.

The baby is here

2009-03-24T09:13:00.001-04:00

Baby Isabella has arrived - 8:57 a.m. Lori is feeling great! Weight and length will be coming soon!

Just waiting for the doctor

2009-03-24T09:05:00.002-04:00

Lori is ready to have the baby - she's just waiting for the doctor to arrive. Rachael is with her but DeAnn (cousin) will be delivering the baby. (If she gets there in time.)

The Baby is on the way . . .

2009-03-24T06:19:00.002-04:00

Lori headed for the hospital this morning around 3:00 a.m. Rachael is on call, but my cousin DeAnn will be delivering the baby. I'm sure Rachael will be there to supervise and make sure Lori has all the comforts possible when giving birth. I've decided to leave tomorrow to spend a week or so. You know, grandma's have to be there immediately after the birth to start the spoiling process. I'll keep posting as I receive info.

Puppies and more

2009-03-14T08:02:00.003-04:00

Friday I left right after breakfast to go to Shannon's house. We decided that while Madeline (the little pack-rat) was at school, we would organize and re-arrange her bedroom. Shannon was hoping to eliminate a few things (toys) that Madeline had out-grown. As we were going through the toys and organizing them, I picked-up a corner of the wall to wall area rug (it had probably been there for forty years or more) and realized that under that carpet was painted wood floors. And it looked like it was in good condition. Shannon took a look and together we decided the carpet was going out. We had to cut the carpet in small sections and move all the stuff in the room to one side, then, the other, we moved that furniture at least four or five times before we were able to get all the carpet cut and out. Then we had to sweep and mop the floor, once again moving the furniture. Finally we placed all the furniture and organized her toys placing the toys she had outgrown in the hallway to be taken to the garage until Shannon has her yard sale. However, we were to late in moving the stuff from the hallway to the garage. We heard the school bus and Madeline arrived home. She was so excited to see her room. But she wanted to know where we were going to put the little kitchen that was in the hallway. Needless to say, we found a place to put her play kitchen back in her room and all was saved.

Before leaving the area, I wanted to go by and see Ryan, Lisa, and the kids and their dog Molly's new puppies. The puppies are now five weeks old and just the cutest little yellow butterballs. Molly had six pure bred yellow lab puppies. Two girls and four boys. Next Tuesday an ad will come out in the paper looking for new homes for five of them. Matthew gets to keep one for his own. Molly is little Ryan's dog.

The second puppy from the end on the right has blue eyes.

Ryan thinks they're pretty cute!

Madeline loves them too!

Gracie is showing me how loose their skin is.

Hannah was showing me one of her favorites!

It's Finished!

2009-02-27T16:24:00.003-05:00

Last Christmas, I purchased several one yard pieces of baby print flannel with some in mind for baby Isabella (soon to arrive) and others to put away for future use. I've been working on one for quite some time, but hadn't completed it. Then just this week, I decided I should start another one to get the rolled hem out of the way and the foundation stitch which take quite a bit of time. The lace part goes fairly quickly. Then today, when I spoke with Lori, she was disappointed that I hadn't completed any blankets - so I hung up the phone and sat down and completed the blanket. Then when I was looking through my container of flannel one yard pieces I found a blanket I had already completed several months ago. So, now I have two completed blankets for Isabella and one that will be completed soon.

All we need now is the arrival of baby Isabella!!

It's Been Way Too Long . . .

2009-02-26T20:17:00.006-05:00

How could I be so busy that I couldn't blog? Well, it happened!!!!

The package from Diane arrived safe. She made me an adorable recipe book that I just love. She included in the package an antique pie carrier that has been in her family for years. She sent that for Bob since he's the pie maker in the family. However, it is going to be displayed in my kitchen to be admired by all who come to visit.

Bob and I drove two and a half hours to take a sleigh ride one Sunday. When we arrived, it had been postponed until the following Sunday, because it was so cold. We weren't able to come back the following week. We did enjoy taking a look at the horses. Bob's dream is to have two draft horses of his own some day so he can take the grandchildren for a sleigh ride when they come to visit at Christmas time. (Yes, Bob is still growing his beard.)

Our baby chicks are all grown-up now. Here is one of the hens. We are getting six to eight eggs everyday.

Madeline is taking violin lessons and she brought her violin over to Ryan and Lisa's house one weekend to give us a little concert. (Just a little peek at Ryan and Lisa's new house - it's really cute)

When Natalie and Adam were here to visit, we celebrated Adam's birthday (a week early). It was so much fun having Natalie and Adam come to visit. Ryan and Lisa and the children and Shannon and Madeline all came over for the weekend. It was great!

We have also had two Bible workers staying with us this month. They have been helping prepare for the evangelistic meetings that will be starting the end of March. Next week they will be leaving for Rochester.

The two big maple trees in front of our house had to come down this winter. Now we won't have to buy firewood for next year's heat.

We did have to buy a chainsaw though. Bob has a small chainsaw that works just fine, but his bigger one died and would have cost too much to have it repaired. He bought it used in 1972. I think he got his money's worth out of it.

I have been off work all week and I love being at home. I've actually accomplished quite a bit. Today I made this "Little House on the Prairie" dress and bonnet for Gracie. It looks kinda big, but the pattern is a 3-4 size. I still have Hannah's and Madeline's to make. I had originally planned to make these for the girls for Christmas, but that didn't happen. The girls enjoy playing like they are Mary, Laura, and Carrie on Little House on the Prairie. I can't wait to see their faces when I give them their dresses and bonnets. (first I have to finish the other two dresses and bonnets)

I Hope It's Not Lost

2009-01-23T17:51:00.003-05:00

Last night when we got home from South Carolina, I checked all my e-mails. Of course, I scan through them first and pick which ones to open first. There was one from my friend Tina so I opened it to read what she had been up to lately. Many times her e-mails are about her naughty little dog, Liesel, that I found for her here in New York. I kinda feel guilty about being the one that found it for her. But, then dogs are like kids. You don't know what you're getting until you get them and then it's too late. But you love them just the same. I was lucky, because all my kids were and are perfect!!! However, I haven't had as good of luck with dogs. Today, Bob had to use the snow-blower in the drive-way and when he put it back in the garage, he hit something on the side of the garage door and now the garage door won't shut. Checotah, had a great time today hauling stuff from the garage out into the yard. Spaghetti squash, gourds that should have been taken to the compost pile, but resided in a box in the garage, and rags. She was a very busy girl today. Then when Bob went outside and saw the mess Checotah had strung in the yard, she got in trouble and went and hid in the barn. She is such a sweet dog, but she can be so naughty. She also tore up her brand new bed Bob bought for her just before we left on our trip. I guess she was bored.

Anyway, Tina asked me if I received a package from Diane. So I was excited about the package and asked Bob to go out and get the mail. When he brought it in, there was no package from Diane. So I asked him to go back out and check on all the porches. He returned empty handed. I e-mailed Tina to let her know that it hadn't arrived yet, and her response to my e-mail was that Diane sent it before Christmas and it was a handmade gift. Diane does the most beautiful knitting and weaving. I'm not sure what she had made and sent to me, but I know I would have loved it! I hope the package can be traced and located. That would be terrible if it was lost. I don't remember ever having anything lost in the mail. Have you?

We're Home

2009-01-22T21:17:00.005-05:00

Well we made it home safe. It was a long, cold week in Myrtle Beach. Bob and I were hoping for some warm weather so we could have a change for a short time, but the temperature dropped while we were there and it actually snowed. There was no accumulation, but it snowed. We did walk on the beach after lunch one day. We were all bundled up in our coats and other winter paraphernalia. It was a busy week with lots of meetings. We stayed in the Hilton right on the beach. I was going to post an update everyday while I was there, but it would have cost $10 a day for internet access and we found out from several people that paid for it, that they weren't able to get on so we opted not to even try.

We had fun going out to eat with friends. The first night we went to a Japanese restaurant, and I do not like Japanese food! But it was fun watching them prepare the food right in front of us. I especially liked watching them set the food on fire! I did enjoy the Mexican and Thai food restaurants. It was a good week, but I'm sure glad to be home. Lots to get caught up on.

While we were eating at the Thai restaurant, sitting at the table next to ours was a couple that were just finishing there meal. All of a sudden Bob jumped up from his chair and ran over and hugged the guy and the lady. I had no idea what he was doing. This behavior is out of character for Bob. Come to find out, they were good friends from California (I had never met them, but had heard stories about them). We knew they were living in the D.C. area and Bob even talked to them at Christmas time, but we had no idea they would be attending these meetings. The next day we went to lunch together and had a wonderful time visiting. We're planning a trip to the D.C. area soon and they are coming up to our home in March or April.

Well I need to open the pile of mail that is waiting for my attention on the dining room table. I have a busy weekend with two families coming over for lunch on Sabbath and I also have to do a Sabbath school workshop and clerk's workshop on Sabbath afternoon at the Hispanic church. That's always interesting since I can't speak Spanish. But, they always smile and agree with everything I'm telling them. It's really kinda fun. Bob will have to stay at home with our guests and continue with the entertaining.

Picture from our hotel room balcony.

Another picture from the balcony.

Bob relaxing and taking a look at the program book.

The music was interesting.

Here we are! The sun is shining, but it is cold!

Our friends from D.C. - Jim and Janene

I've had enough . . .

2009-01-17T16:44:00.002-05:00

of the cold weather that is. I've been cold all day today. Even at church I kept my neck warmer, coat, mittens, and snow boots on. I was freezing and I'm still cold. The good news! In fifteen minutes Bob and I are leaving for Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. We have a cat, dog, and chicken sitter to take care of the kids so we're almost ready to leave. It will be a 13 1/2 hour drive so we should arrive tomorrow morning. Then we will be attending meetings all week. But, I think it will be warmer than it is here. I sure hope so.

It's Officially Over

2009-01-16T14:56:00.002-05:00

I really enjoyed the way Bob decorated our Christmas tree this year and wasn't ready for it to be taken down as early as we usually do. But, today was the day. We both decided that it had to come down and the decorations put away until next year.

Looking pretty bare -

Bob took the tree out the front doors and now it is resting in the burn pile. It's too windy to burn today. The boxes are all stored and life is back to normal. I think.

And it happened at the church

2009-01-15T21:03:00.002-05:00

Last night Bob went to prayer meeting at the Roosevelt Church. When he left to go out to the truck he noticed that the passenger side door was wide open. When he looked inside the truck the glove box was open and the stuff had been gone through and the lid was up on the console where Bob keeps his CD's. Whoever it was must not have needed napkins, because that's what was in the glove box and they must not have liked the music Bob listens to, because they didn't take any. They must have been very disappointed. If I'd been there I would have taken pictures.

Snowman Update

2009-01-13T18:13:00.003-05:00

The birthday party at work today was a success. Here are a couple of pictures I took at work.

This is the centerpiece - a melting snowman.

Snowmen Cupcakes

2009-01-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

Our office celebrates birthdays each month and I was assigned along with two other employees to host the January birthday party. My friend, Cil and I are planning it together and decided to do a winter theme with snowflakes and snowmen. The menu we decided on is homemade chili, mini cornbread muffins, salad, and cupcakes. Cil and I both are making a pot of chili. Cil is making miniature cornbread muffins, and I'm making the cupcakes. I started making the snowmen on Sunday and it took me all day because they had to be made in stages.

This is how it started. Once these dried I add the second and then third section for the snowman.

Then I had to make black icing for the hats. I used chocolate and black food coloring to get the instant black color.

Then I used red and yellow food coloring to make the orange icing for the nose.

Here they are. I let them dry overnight.

I made chocolate cupcakes and iced them with vanilla icing. Then I placed the dried snowman on the cupcake and sprinkled coconut around the edges. (I didn't put coconut on all of them just in case someone doesn't like coconut.)

Here they are all packed and ready to go to work with me tomorrow.

Here is what Cil and I decided to use for the table center-piece. A melted snowman. We'll hot glue coal for the eyes and put a carrot on for the nose and then put a scarf around the neck. Cil make some really cute snowflakes that we'll scatter on the table.

This was a really fun party to plan. I'll try to take pictures tomorrow at the party. Oh, we're using blue table clothes.

Grandpa to the rescue . . .

2009-01-11T21:53:00.004-05:00

Lisa and the children had spent the day at her parents house and were on their way home. They weren't far from our house, on a road they weren't familiar with, and the road suddenly did a 90 degree turn. However, the van didn't. They landed in a snow bank. After the boys accessed the situation, they called us for help. They were just about four miles from our house so Bob grabbed two shovels, the tow rope, two flashlights, his gloves and coat; I on the other hand grabbed my camera, coat, and put on my boots!

Here's a picture of the van in the snow bank.

The boys and grandpa are accessing how to solve the problem.
Matthew started shoveling in the front.

Grandpa was checking for someplace to hook the rope.

Then they decided it would be best to pull it out from the back.

Hooking it up.

The Envoy pulled the van out without any trouble.

After the van was pulled out, I wanted to get a picture of where the van had been.

It only took a few minutes to pull the van out and Lisa and the children were on their way home and so were Bob and I. That was the most exciting thing that happened all day today.

Our Aero Garden

2009-01-09T20:17:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Rachael and Derrick, Bob and I are the proud owners of an Aero Garden. They gave it to us for Christmas, but they gave it to us early while we were in Michigan at Thanksgiving time. About a week after we got home, Bob set-up the garden with herbs and it wasn't long before they sprouted. Now we have fresh basil, dill, chives, thyme, marjoram, and oregano. The basil is growing the fastest and I have already cut it down and hung it upside down to dry. Today, Bob made eight loaves of bread two of which he experimented with using sun dried tomatoes, black olives, and fresh chopped basil. The aroma was unbelievable and it tasted soooo good. I ate two pieces and wanted more, but I decided to wait until tomorrow.

We are planning on making some mashed potatoes and using the chives. It's really fun having the garden handy right in our kitchen. Thank you Rachael and Derrick. We love our new indoor garden.

(The picture was taken a couple of weeks ago and the plants are much larger now.)

Happy Birthday Kristen

2009-01-05T08:22:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Kristen! Grandpa and I want to wish you a fun day with lots of presents, games, and friends to help you celebrate your birthday. You have brought so much joy to us. We enjoy you coming and spending time with us at camp meeting in the summer and it was lots of fun this fall with your surprise visit with auntie Lori and cousin Anthony.

You and grandpa sure enjoy exploring the old barns and you seem to find some kind of treasure while you are visiting. Remember Toadie? You were the envy of all the kids in our camping area with him.

Learning to snowboard.

You and auntie Natalie ice skating.

Driving uncle Ryan's tractor.

Making lady bug cookies.

Swinging on a rope in the barn while visiting your cousins.

Sleeping on the top bunk in the travel trailer at camp meeting using "Junkie" as your pillow.

You found a nest of baby bunnies at Adam and Natalie's wedding reception.

You are a really smart girl!

We love to hear you play the piano. So talented.

You made the cutest monkey and then made clothes for it too!

Such a loving big sister to your new baby brother, Ben.

Arm in arm with your brother Jack.

Finally, a sister.

H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y , K R I S T E N!

W E L O V E Y O U,

G R A N D M A AND G R A N D P A

Pullet Egg

2009-01-03T18:14:00.004-05:00

Back in August we became the proud owners of 12 baby chickens, compliments of Lisa and her dad. It was kinda fun watching the little chicks grow-up in a washtub in our kitchen with a make-shift heat lamp hanging over the tub to keep them warm. Soon we added wire fencing to the top of the washtub to keep the chicks from jumping out of the tub and running all around the kitchen. Later we adopted seven chickens (6 hens; one rooster). Bob made a temporary chicken house in the barn and a make-shift chicken yard outside the coop. The chickens have surprisingly made it quite well. We've only had a couple of casualties. Bob goes out every morning to feed and water the chickens and then open the door so they can go outside and play. They don't like the snow and if there is snow, they won't go outside, but Bob still gives them the option most of the time. Later in the day, after sundown, Bob goes back out to the barn to lock the chickens in their house and gather the eggs.

Our eggs so far have been from the adopted chickens, but today Bob brought in the first pullet egg from one of the baby chicks that are all grown-up now. Out of the twelve little chicks, one was a rooster and it is so cute to hear him learning how to crow.

The egg on the left is from the adopted chickens and the egg on the right is from the grown-up chicks. When they all start laying, we're going to have more eggs than we can use. I'm sure we can find a family in the neighborhood that would enjoy having fresh eggs.

Christmas

2009-01-02T08:10:00.002-05:00

We were so excited when our family that spent 24 hours at the O'Hare Airport arrived safely Christmas eve. Unfortunately, their luggage wasn't quite so lucky and spent extended hours at the O'Hare Airport arriving at our home on Christmas day. Natalie and Adam, Shannon, Andy, and Madeline, and Ryan and Lisa and the children all arrived Christmas day after spending time on the ski slopes in Pennsylvania together. Bob and I were disappointed that we weren't able to go skiing too.

The house was all ready for the family to arrive and I had planned menus and prepared as much of the food ahead of time as possible. I made lots of cookies and Bob made pies.

Bob did such a good job of selecting a tree and decorating it. It looked beautiful and I can't take any credit for it.

With so many visiting, the many packages under the tree made for wide-eyed little children when they saw it for the first time.

Hannah received an American Girl doll for her birthday and was so excited when she opened a box that had a new outfit for her doll.

Of course, I insisted that each gift be opened one at a time which took forever. Reminding them that when they get to be the grandmother then they can make the rules. The papers, ribbons, boxes, and gifts were everywhere. It was wonderful!

The excitement in the children's eyes when they opened their gifts was worth every cent that was spent. A joy and privilege to have children and grandchildren home for Christmas.

Baby G was loved by everyone. He was being loved all day long. He didn't even need his crib.

Grandpa even found time to set and hold baby G. Baby G and grandpa even took naps together in the rocking chair.

Gracie learned how to make people laugh. Silly girl!

We had 19 for Christmas dinner. I couldn't have had a better Christmas present unless all the children and grandchildren could have come. We had cottage cheese loaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, corn, wild rice salad, potato buns, sweet potatoes with maple syrup and cranberries, and I made pickled beets and forgot to put them out. In fact, they are still in the refrigerator.

Much fun was had with the children playing games together along with the adults. Our grandchildren are sure smart. The gang played an American History trivia game and the grandchildren were as smart or smarter than the adults! I didn't play that game. I enjoyed holding baby G.

After that game, I got out the Banana-Grams. I love that game. The kids enjoyed playing and M won the first game. At least he thought he had won. But, Natalie and I told him that pied wasn't a word so we kept playing. Guess what? The next day, M brought down the dictionary and showed us that pied is a word. M is so smart. I didn't question his words in future games of Banana-Grams.

Madeline got a new violin for Christmas and brought it over to show everyone. M showed her a little bit about how to hold and play it. She's so excited about starting lessons.

We spent some time working on a Christmas program for the church service on Sabbath. We went to two churches Sabbath. Lisa's parents and two little brothers joined us for the program. Michael and I played a piano duet, "O, Little Town of Bethlehem".

Adam and Ryan did some of the reading. They are both natural up-front people. I wanted Natalie to read a part, but she refused and there was nothing that would make her do it not even her mother's pleading and begging.

Lisa and her mother sang "O, Holy Night".

The children sang "Silent Night, Holy Night". Lisa's little brothers fit right in with the rest of the grandchildren.

Saturday night I made homemade cinnamon rolls and I did something really stupid. I forgot to put yeast in them. A... was watching the cinnamon rolls, and they never got any bigger. After an hour, I realized what had happened and started over. We went ahead and baked the "unleavened" cinnamon rolls and Bob insisted that they tasted as good as Walmart cinnamon rolls. The second batch was perfect! And, they were enjoyed by all. The next day, I put the unleavened cinnamon rolls in the compost bucket, and later that day, I found them in a plastic bag. Bob had taken them out. He said they were good and he was going to eat them. I wouldn't want to waste the calories on them, but he said he wasn't worried about calories. Wouldn't that be nice?

Sunday morning the guys were ready to head out to the back "59" and try out the guns. They had a great time together. It was raining a little and the snow was melting, but that didn't bring them back to the house anytime too soon.

While the guys were outside, I made play-dough for the girls to play with. That afternoon, we all went over to Lisa's parents dairy farm to ride four-wheelers. It continued to rain most of the day and most of the snow had melted, so it was a muddy mess when they went riding. I was sure glad it wasn't at my house. When they finished they were covered with mud.

Our children and grandchildren made Christmas extra special for us. It was wonderful to receive telephone calls from all the children that couldn't come for Christmas this year too wishing us a "Merry Christmas".

I can't attach the pictures . . .

2008-12-29T21:50:00.002-05:00

Natalie took some awesome pictures during the week and loaded them on my computer. I have spent hours today trying to attach some, and there is something wrong with my computer or the operator. So, I'll try tomorrow when I'm home alone. Well, almost alone. It will be just Bob and Madeline.

We had nineteen here for Christmas dinner and not one meal during the entire week was served on paper or plastic. I still have Christmas cookies left and lots of food. Bob and I won't be hungry or need to go to the grocery store for a very long time.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas this year. Bob and I are so blessed. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if all the kids and grand kids would have been here.

Bob has run to Walmart to pick-up some mandarins to send with the kids and grand kids that are leaving in the morning at 7:00 a.m. We have to leave our house at 4:30 a.m. Bob is also making bread so we can make sandwiches to send with the kids. When they were stuck in Chicago for 24 hours, they bought breakfast (three orders of pancakes and two orders of hash browns) and it cost $44. That is just ridiculous.

During the entire week of celebrations, not one person was sick. And, now tonight my throat is feeling a little sore. I hope it's not the beginning of something . . .

I can hardly wait for everyone to see the pictures.

Still not here

2008-12-24T08:01:00.002-05:00

Mike and Vickie and the five children spent the night at O'Hare Airport. They are now at the top of the standby list and are hoping to get a flight out this morning. Vickie reported that the baby is handling this the best. He just sleeps and eats and goes with the flow! We're anxious to receive their call letting us know when to pick them up at the airport.

We received more snow last night and it's to change during the day to freezing rain and then just rain with more snow tomorrow.

The good news! We've got a very white Christmas!!!

I think I'll make a pumpkin log and some hamatachen while I'm waiting for the arrival of all the families.

Update on Christmas Activities

2008-12-23T20:40:00.006-05:00

This year Bob and I decided to have a Christmas "Open House". This is our fifth year to celebrate Christmas here in New York . . .

What an adventure when we moved across country, from California to New York, in December of 2004. We left most of our possessions stored in California arriving in New York with just the bare minimums. We were fortunate to rent a furnished duplex from a snowbird and were quite comfortable that first winter. Our search for a home soon began looking at numerous homes that we thought would be perfect, non of which fulfilled our list of must haves. Then one of our church members told us about a house on County Route. It wasn't for sale, but it was vacant. Bob immediately drove by the house and saw the possibilities. I wasn't quite so sure this was "the" house for us. Bob had no questions at all about this being the perfect house. I think he would have been happy with just the two old barns and the 59 acres. But, the house was a nice bonus for me. So in April of 2005 we purchased the home and began renovations while living in our travel trailer on the property. Although the renovations weren't complete, we moved into the house in December of 2005 and celebrated our first Christmas in our "new" home.

During the renovations, several neighbors and county officials came by to see the progress being made on the old house. It was only as a result of numerous friends and family pitching in to help with the renovations that we are comfortably living with the inside of our home complete.

With the milestone of the inside completion, we decided to have an open house and invite our neighbors, county officials (the former owner of our home was the county clerk and people would come to the house to buy their hunting licenses, fishing licenses, marriage licenses, etc), and those that worked on the house.

It was fun to decorate the house for Christmas. The day of the open house we had about 15 inches of snow and it snowed all day. Bob had to blow the driveway and a place for people to park. Several people that had called to let us know they would be coming, weren't able to make it due to the bad weather. We had 27 people come and everything turned out wonderful! Bob got up early and made apple pies, lemon meringue pies, and pecan pies. We had lots of homemade goodies for the table that looked beautiful. And, I was so busy greeting people and talking, I didn't take one picture.

I made a scrapbook of the before and after pictures of the house for people to look through if they wanted. Many of the guests enjoyed just relaxing and visiting. The former owner of the home came and he and his wife had a great time walking through the house (it was his mother that was the clerk). He also wanted to take a look in the basement, and I opened the door and told him to go on down, he probably would remember the way around. They were so pleased that the house had been restored. The commented that they could tell it is a very loved home, which is so true.

When the last guests left, Bob and I sat down on the couch and just relaxed. It had been a very busy day.

The snow has continued to come down non-stop. We have had more that we need. Yesterday, Ryan and Lisa and the boys and Shannon and Madeline were heading to Pennsylvania to meet Natalie and Adam to go snow skiing. Natalie called them and told them that they wouldn't have made it to the house they are staying at if they hadn't had four-wheel drive. So Ryan and Lisa borrowed our SUV with four-wheel drive and left their mini van with us.

Today Bob and I have been busy getting everything ready for the arrival of our children and grandchildren. We wish all of them could come, but we're happy that at least four of the eight children will be coming and ten of our 18 grandchildren will also be here for Christmas. I completed my menus for the next seven days and then Bob and I were going to run out and pick-up a few more groceries before we headed to the airport to pick-up Mike and Vickie and the children. We have to take two vehicles because we don't have enough seats in just one vehicle.

When we went out to get in the van to go to the grocery store, that's when the trouble began. The keys were on the driver's seat and the doors were all locked. Now what? Bob wrote down the VIN number and I called a local dealership to see if they could make a key. They said I would have to bring in proof that the vehicle belonged to me. That wouldn't work. It wasn't my car. So I told him the l-o-n-g sad s-t-o-r-y and when I finished, he told me to come on down and he'd have a key ready for me.

While we were picking up the last few groceries Bob received a call from Mike. They were at the O'hara Airport and their flight had been cancelled. Now, four hours after their expected arrival, they are still in Chicago waiting for a flight to New York.

The stockings are all hung on the fireplace . . .

The tree is all decorated, the presents all wrapped and under the tree . . .

And, the lights in the windows are ready to welcome our family home for Christmas . . .

Bob and I are so excited that soon the house will no longer be quiet and everything in it's place. Life as we enjoy it will soon begin.

It's Almost Christmas

2008-12-19T19:38:00.005-05:00

Bob and I have been busy getting ready for Christmas. We are having an open house this coming Sunday, so we've been putting up the Christmas decorations. Mike and Vickie and the children will be arriving on Tuesday; Natalie, Adam, Ryan and Lisa and the children, and Shannon and Madeline will be arriving on Wednesday evening.

If it wasn't for Bob, there wouldn't be much done around the house. I've been so busy at work. Once again, Bob went and selected the tree, cut the tree, set-up the tree, put the lights on the tree, decorated the tree, and he even waters the tree everyday. He also put up the garland on the staircase.

I wanted some fresh wreaths for the side door and two smaller wreaths for the two front doors. When I came home from work, all three wreaths were made and hanging on the doors.

This is one of the two wreaths he made that are hanging on the front doors.

This is the wreath that is hanging on the side door. The door most visitors use.

It snowed quite a bit today. It sure is beautiful. But, it wasn't much fun to drive in today. On my way home from shopping, I pulled over to clean off the ice from the wiper blade and broke it, so I had to look out the passenger side of the windshield whilte I drove home. The roads were really bad. When I got home, Bob fixed the wiper. It wasn't broken, it had just come off the end of the arm. It looked broken to me!

The tracks I made pulling into the driveway this afternoon are now covered with snow.

Just a little note: Bob has decided that he is going to grow a beard. That is not what is on my Christmas wish list. He says that he is growing it for the 150 year celebration of the Roosevelt Church in June 2009.

He's just been growing it for a few days. It looks rediculous! And, I have to go to church tomorrow and sit with him during the Christmas program. You'd think he could have waited until after Christmas.

The Girls' Weekend

2008-11-25T17:57:00.009-05:00

It started on Friday and it just didn't want to stop. I'm talking about the snow. I was concerned that our girls' weekend might not happen and I was so disappointed. Diane was not feeling well, and wasn't going to be able to come and then the weather was thrown into the mix which didn't mix too well with driving. Tina called Saturday morning and asked what the weather looked like for the day. It wasn't good. I took a scientific look at the weather and checked forecast.weather.gov. Lake effect snow was the forecast for the day. Bob took a different look at the weather and went outside to measure the amount that had already fallen.

It measured 12 1/2 inches on the picnic table - Saturday morning.

It was only 9 inches at the bird feeders.

Checotah loves playing in the snow. Look at the snow on her nose.

Punkin and Checotah are keeping Bob company as he takes water from the house to the barn to give fresh drinking water for the chickens and Bootsie the barn cat.

Tina took into consideration the weather report from both Bob and myself and decided that it would be best not to come. She would call Sunday morning for a weather update and if the weather looked better, she would come on Sunday. Bob received several telephone calls from church members to let him know that they wouldn't be able to make it to church. I suggested that he close the church, but he would hearing nothing of that. When we arrived at the first church, there were already three cars in the parking lot. We were both surprised to see so many people at church. I had to play the piano and then tell the children's story. I told the story about when Francie cut her hair, tried to hide the evidence by burying the cut hair in the back yard. Her punishment was memorable for the entire family and still is a topic of discussion at many family gatherings.

This is the first church we had services at Saturday morning.

As soon as church service was over, we left to go to our second church service about a 35 minute drive. This is a picture from out of our front windshield driving up I-81.

This is the second church we went to on Sabbath. There were only four people that made it out to church. However, they had a great potluck. Homemade lasagna, Spanish rice, winter squash, and more . . .

After lunch we headed out for our third service another 35 minute drive. Within 10 minutes of leaving, we noticed that the snow was disappearing and by the time we reached our destination there wasn't any snow on the ground.

As we headed home, we soon were back in snow country. These cows looked so cold and were just standing there with no where to go. I think this one was wanting us to take her home with us. Just look at those sad eyes.

We passed by the Christmas tree farm where we cut our own tree each year. It's going to be more difficult to chose the perfect tree if the snow doesn't melt. The snow sure looks pretty, doesn't it?

Sunday morning Tina called early and once again we checked the weather reports. It looked good so Tina packed her car and headed for New York. I was so excited I could hardly wait for her to arrive. The drive only took her a little over four.

When she pulled into the garage, Bob and I started helping her carry stuff in. I couldn't resist asking her how long she planned on staying. You wouldn't believe all the stuff she brought!!! Tina brings everything but the kitchen sink too!!! Just like me!!! She has the neatest "things" to make cards and scrapbook pages. I was so excited to get started. Of course we talked, and talked, and talked, and then talked some more. Oh, we had so much fun!!!

Tina helped design cards for the Christmas Open House Bob and I are planning to have the second Sunday in December. They are so beautiful!!! I told Tina she should teach a class. She is really good.

Tina has all kinds of equipment for making cards and scrapbook pages. She also showed me some of the cards she had made and they are so cute. I just love them. I took pictures of each one so I can try to duplicate them in the future.

Here's one of the cards that we made for the "Christmas Open House" The snowflakes have glitter and a crystal bead in the center. We didn't have time to complete the inside, but my friend Barb is going to help me with the verse and printing.

Tina and I decided to take a little walk around the perimeter of the garden and orchard. It was great. The dogs enjoyed going with us. At the back of the orchard we saw deer tracks.

Punkin loves going for walks.

Checotah loves the snow. This is her first winter and first snow. When she is naughty, she gets tied in the yard. We have a dog house for her, but she won't go inside it. She lays outside the dog house watching the snow fall. Crazy dog!

We made homemade bread.

Date nut cookies

Cranberry orange nut muffins

We checked the weather report Monday night and the reports weren't good. Tina decided it would be best if she left early Tuesday morning. I was so disappointed. She called me a little after noon and had made it home safely. We had such a great time together. We went shopping at Joann Fabrics, bought some adorable patterns to make for our grandchildren. Had a list of things we wanted to do and only started on the list. I'm looking forward to Tina coming to visit soon I hope.

My friend, Barb, came over this afternoon and we had a great time making pies. We made pumpkin and pecan pies and then a batch of snickerdoodle cookies. The time went much too quickly and soon she was on her way back home.

Barb making the snickerdoodles.

Barb said, "No More Pictures!"

The pies turned out picture perfect.

What a great weekend!!!!!!!!!

More Snow is on the way . . .

2008-11-22T07:46:00.003-05:00

We woke up to more snow on the ground. It appears that we are on the edge of the lake effect snow that is falling. The snow plows have gone by twice this morning already. My cousin, Tony, has called a couple of times to let us know that he and Donna can't get out of their driveway and their road hasn't been plowed either. They live in Mexico, New York and usually get dumped on every winter. They won't be at church this morning. Then we received another call from a couple that won't be getting to church either. We probably won't have too many at church today. Since this is a three church sabbath, Bob checked with one of the other churches, and they are planning to meet. The afternoon meeting will be held at an elderly couple's house.

Tina called this morning and she isn't going to venture coming today. The weather just doesn't look good for traveling. The forecast is 100% chance for heavy snow all day. However, tomorrow looks better. We're going to keep checking the weather forecast, and hopefully she will be able to come on Sunday.

Now, I'm wondering if we should chance going to Michigan for Thanksgiving. The weather reports are snows a good part of next week.

Snow . . . Snow . . . Snow ! ! !

2008-11-21T17:03:00.002-05:00

It snowed all day today and it's suppose to snow all night and all day tomorrow. It sure is pretty but, I'm worried that Tina and Diane won't be able to come for the weekend. We're going to keep checking the weather report to see if it changes. I have everything ready for them to come. Now what am I going to do with all this food? I had Bob go out and take a few pictures before the sun went down.

Our drive-way.
This is the county road in front of our house.

I think Bob is going to have to get out the snow blower in the morning.

I don't remember it snowing this early in the year in the four years that we have lived in New York. I hope this isn't the beginning of a long winter. (We're getting lake effect snow)

Another Potluck Blog

2008-11-19T20:10:00.003-05:00

For the past three weeks I have been working and going directly to the church after work for evangelistic meetings. Bob did his first series of meetings using power-point. He's becoming computer literate. He did very well with each night's presentations. There was a good response from the community and great support from the members. He's planning a baptism the second Sabbath in December. During these meetings I also held a cooking school in Dexterville. There were approximately 40 people in attendance. We have several drawings during the cooking class for homemade bread which Bob makes the morning of the class. One of the members made this stained glass platter which was a nice addition to the drawings that night. I was very lucky, because the lady that won it was the aunt to the lady that made it and she already had one so after the class she gave it to me.

I love my stained glass platter.

Even though I've been busy all day and every evening, I do have Friday's off so I enjoyed doing some baking.

Five loaves of whole wheat bread.

An apple pie.

Homemade cinnamon rolls with a surprise when you flip them over.

Those cinnamon rolls turn into pecans rolls when you dump them over onto a pan.

Rachael's Apple Cake Recipe

I made an apple cake and took it for the members to enjoy after the meeting on Friday evenings. They loved it. Several people asked for the recipe.

Ryan, Lisa and the children have moved into their new home, but they haven't moved all their stuff out of our house yet. It's quite lonely now in the evenings. No little children running to me excited to tell me all about their day. While they were living with us, our garage became so full of "stuff" we could hardly even walk in it. Bob spent several hours working on cleaning it out so we could get both vehicles in it.

This morning when I went to get in my car I was so thankful that it was parked in the garage.
Because . . .

This is what I saw when I opened the garage door this morning. We have almost a foot of snow. Bob didn't get up early enough to use the snow blower on the driveway so I just used my four wheel drive and made it just fine. The roads had been plowed.

We haven't put all our summer things away yet. Like our picnic table. Maybe it will just stay there for the winter. It won't be long and we won't see it until spring anyway.
It's a beautiful snow, but I'm not quite ready to settle in for a l-o-n-g winter. We have snow much earlier than we have had since we moved to New York. It usually waits until December.

Our dogs houses have all been moved back on the porches (which I don't like the look of). Bob thinks they need their houses there so they can see what's going on inside the house without having to be out in the wind. This is Checotah's first time to experience snow. She is just loving it. Our chickens are also experiencing snow for the first time and they aren't as happy with it as Checotah. Bob went to let them out this morning, and a couple of them went out the door and immediately returned to the chicken house. The others didn't even venture out. The temperatures have been in the 20's and low 30's. Bob's trying to figure out how to keep the chicken's water from freezing. We don't have electricity in the barn. We have a heated water bowl for the dogs. There must be some way to keep the water from freezing. What did they do in the olden days? Bob's dreaming of having horses and a sleigh so he can go for a ride on the property. It would be lots of fun. Well, I guess I should stop for now. I need to get a good nights rest. We're suppose to get some snow flurries tonight. We usually get lake effect snow and that makes for more than just flurries.

I'm looking forward to this weekend when Tina and Diane come to visit. They will be coming on Saturday and staying until Monday. I've got all my menu's planned and Tina and Diane have ideas on crafts for us to work on. I can hardly wait! I'll try to do better at posting while they are here. But, no guarantees.

Pumpkin Butter

2008-11-04T21:02:00.005-05:00

The morning after . . . the results . . . at the bottom

My friend, Cathy (she lives in California), has been making pumpkin butter and has inspired me to try. We have quite a few pumpkins out of our garden and it would be a shame to let them go to waste. She sent me her recipe which sounds really good and it uses maple syrup which we have plenty of. However, Dore (my other friend that lives in California) sent me a crock pot recipe that I decided to try since it can cook all night while I sleep. I'll put it in the jars before I leave for work tomorrow morning. While I've been watching the election results I've been taking pictures of the steps for making pumpkin butter. Please remember that I have never done this before, so these steps may give some readers quite a laugh.

The first step is to place a freshly washed pumpkin on a cutting board.

Cut the pumpkin in half and remove all the seeds.

This is the pumpkin with the seeds remove.

Place the pumpkins cut side down in a baking pan.
Fill the baking pan with about an inch to an inch and a half of water.
Bake in a 400 degree oven (375 degree convection oven) until a fork goes in easily.

This is the pumpkin after it has been baked. Be sure to drain the water off because if you leave the pumpkin sitting in the water, the pumpkin will be watery.

Once the pumpkin has cooled enough to handle,

scoop out the flesh into a bowl and discard the skin.

Then you need to puree the pumpkin. I thought I would use the equipment I used when I made applesauce, but that didn't work. It just made a big mess.

Then I decided to mix it in my Kitchenaid mixer.

Bob said that wouldn't work and I should put it in the blender.

So, I put the cooked pumpkin in the blender. And it worked.

The pumpkin pureed perfectly. I had to put it in small amounts though.

Then I placed the pureed pumpkin in my crock pot, added 4 cups of sugar, 2 Tablespoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon allspice. I'm going to cook this on low overnight and then first thing in the morning, I'll put it in jars and seal them. I'll store them in the refrigerator for up to six months. I don't think they will last six months.

Thank you Cathy and Dore for your inspiration, encouragement, and recipes. Now, you guys just need to come out so you can taste it. I'll make some homemade bread if you'll come.

This morning I got up early and finished making my pumpkin butter. I placed clean jars in the oven to warm and the jar lids in a pot of water on the stove top. Once the jars were hot, I filled them and sealed them. Once they have cooled I will store them in the refrigerator.

This is what the pumpkin butter looked like when I went to bed.

This is the finished pumpkin butter after it cooked all night.

The aroma in my house when I woke up this morning was wonderful!

Here is the finished product. I tried some this morning on dried toast

and it was delicious!

Last night I also baked four additional pumpkins and scooped out the pumpkin and instead of using the blender I used my food processor to make it smooth and that worked much easier. I filled zip-loc bags with two cups of pureed pumpkin and placed in the freezer. I made 8 bags. My pumpkin pie recipe calls for two cups of pumpkin, so I'm all ready for Bob to make 8 pies!

I Can't Believe . . .

2008-10-28T21:41:00.002-04:00

Today on my way home from work I was driving through snow showers. Shortly after I dropped off Priscilla at her home (the lady I carpool with) those showers turned into full blown snow and I was soon driving in white-out conditions. This is October. I'm not ready for snow until December 25. The snow-plows are out and the wind is howling. I hope this isn't a sign of what's to come. I even used my four-wheel drive, just because it makes me feel safer.

Apple Dumplings

2008-10-26T13:01:00.006-04:00

This morning I really needed to get busy working on those two bushels of apples that need to be made into sauce. But, I decided to make apple dumplings first.

Several years ago when we lived in California, my friends Cathy and Dore and I were hosting a women's Bible study/dinner/craft night. Since it was fall we decided to decorate with pumpkins and carry the fall theme to our dinner too. After we planned the menu, we divided up the menu items between us. I volunteered to make the apple dumplings. I realized that I had never made them or eaten them, but they sounded so good and I had plenty of time to figure out a recipe. I won't bore you with all the details, but I tried dozens of recipes that were just horrible. I was down to just two days before the dinner and I still didn't have a recipe for apple dumplings that was acceptable. I begged for Bob's help and he came to my rescue. We gleaned from several of the recipes, added our own ideas and came up with this apple dumpling recipe that has been a hit ever since.

The first step is to make the syrup. Place 1 3/4 cups water, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon in a pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer while you prepare the apples. Add 1-2 Tablespoons margarine while simmering. This recipe is for six small apples.

Core and peel the apples. I now have an apple corer, but when I first made the recipe I just cut the apples in half to core them and then put them back together and wrapped them in the dough. It worked just fine. To make the dough, I use three cups unbleached white flour, 1 tsp salt, and 1 cup butter flavored Crisco. Mix until crumbly and then add enough cold water to form ball. You don't want it too wet and sticky. If you prefer, you can buy prepared pie crust at the store and use that. (it won't be as good though)

Roll out the dough in a rectangle and cut in squares big enough to wrap one apple. Roll the apple in a mixture of 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Then place the apple on the pie dough square.

Take all four corners and tuck them into the center of the apple.

Take the flaps that remain and fold them to the side of the apple.

The apple with the dough on it will look something like this.

A neater way to wrap the apple is to fold two opposite ends of the dough up over the apple and tuck the dough in the center of the apple. Then fold the other to ends in towards the center and pull them up and tuck inside the apple. Either way works just fine. Place the apples in a glass baking pan and pour the hot syrup over the apples with the syrup filling the bottom of the pan.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. The results are pictures above. I adjusted the recipe to make eight apples. Serve these with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

While I was inside making apple dumplings, Bob was outside hauling wood to be put in our basement for our wood furnace. We have a combination wood, coal, oil furnace.

This wood was cut last summer and has seasoned and is now ready to burn. Bob loaded and hauled it up from the barn.

Then he had to unload it from the truck and throw it down into the basement.

All this and more has to go into the basement and then be stacked. We have already had our heating oil tank filled, but we need to have a load of coal delivered soon. I prefer to heat with the wood. It's a much warmer heat.

Grape Juice Applesauce and Visitors

2008-10-24T22:00:00.000-04:00

Today was another busy day off. On Thursday, Bob had picked all the concord grapes from the vine on our arbor. So, today I had to make grape juice or lose the grapes, which I couldn't see wasting. I'm still working on the three bushels of apples that one our members had brought over to us, so I needed to also make more applesauce.

Right after breakfast, I added the breakfast dishes to the dishwasher and since it was now full, I started it. I decided to get the grapes started first and then move on to the apples.

I washed the grapes first and then placed them in the top of the steam juicer.

With the steam juicer filled with fresh grapes I placed the lid on and waited for the juice to appear.

You can see in the tube, that the juice has started.

I place clean canning jars in a 200 degree oven. The jars need to be hot when the hot grape juice is added.

I'm filling the jars with the juice that has been steamed from the grapes.

I made a huge mess. I got grape juice all over the cabinets, stove and floor.

Then Ryan and the boys stopped by to borrow the box trailer so they could move their things out of storage into their new home on Saturday night. They hadn't had breakfast and were hungry. I made them scrambled eggs and toast. They enjoyed their breakfast and were soon ready to get on the road. Before they left, one of our members stopped by for a few minutes. He had drilled the well at Ryan and Lisa's house and was coming by to give us the bill. Bob told him I was in the house making grape juice so he came in and gave me a few pointers on how not to have grape juice all over the place. He and his wife make 70 quarts of grape juice every year.

He showed me how to put the hose in the handle so the excess grape juice wouldn't spill out when the jar was full. That little shared secret saved me a lot of clean up after my project was completed. I also started the applesauce. I did three batches of applesauce. Two of the batches were applesauce/raspberry sauce. I did it without sugar. It surprisingly tastes really good without the sugar. My aunt Kate can't have sugar and I want to take some to her at Thanksgiving time. I also wanted to make some for Tina who will be visiting me right before Thanksgiving. If the rest of us want it a little sweeter, we can always add some sweetener. I think using maple syrup would make it really yummy.

I have my own system for making the applesauce. I quarter the apples and core them. Then I place them in bowl of water. Then the apples are transferred to the pot.

Soon I heard the dogs barking and figured that someone was here. I was right! A couple from the church were on their way home from shopping and decided to stop by and say hello. They came in and visited with us at the kitchen table. They tried the grape juice, which they loved.

I did 18 quarts of grape juice, seven pints and six quarts of applesauce.

I decided I had time to make a fresh apple cake so I quickly put together the ingredients and placed it in the oven. It takes the cake one and a half hours to bake. While it was baking I cleaned the kitchen and got ready to leave for the evangelistic series that was beginning Friday evening in the Roosevelt Church. We needed to leave by 5:00 p.m. The cake came out of the oven at 5:00 p.m. and Bob and I walked to the car to leave. Whew! What a day.

Fall Harvest

2008-10-23T21:19:00.003-04:00

Bob is enjoying his time at home once again. He really didn't get to garden this past summer like he enjoys, but he did manage to plant a rather large garden and it has been very plentiful. This week Bob has been busy getting ready for evangelistic meetings that start tomorrow night. He is the speaker and will be using power-point for his presentations. This is new to Bob so he is at the church tonight with a computer guru to make sure everything is working properly. Not only has Bob been preparing for this three weeks series of meetings, he has spent some time getting the house and yard ready for winter. He won't be able to get everything done that should be done, but he'll get most of the "have-to's" done.

Today Bob replaced several of the chimney blocks and smoke stack. The old ones had deteriorated and we would have never made it through the winter without problems. He also dug potatoes and beets and brought in the pumpkins, gourds, buttercup winter squash, and spaghetti squash. Tomorrow he will put most of these in the root cellar to use during the winter months.

Bob also picked several baskets full of concord grapes. Tomorrow I'll make some grape juice and grape jelly. I'm also going to make more applesauce. Tonight I went to a women's Bible study class and one of the ladies had brought homemade applesauce. I took a small bowl of it to taste, and it was so good I had to find out her secret. She said that she cooked the apples with a little raspberry/apple frozen concentrated juice and then added raspberries. After it had all cooked down, she mashed it. She didn't add any sweetener of any kind and it was wonderful! I'm going to make some like that tomorrow using some of the raspberries I froze last Friday from our berry patch. Oh, the color of the applesauce was a beautiful pink. There were also homemade pumpkin muffins at the class and I ate more than I should have. They were the miniature muffins, so taking two or three didn't look to much like a pig.

After the Bible class we worked on stained glass candle holders. I'm really happy with the way mine turned out. The instructor took them home to grout them for us and will bring them back to our next class. I took my camera to the class, but forgot to take the chip from the computer so I don't have any pictures of the class.

A bucket of potatoes and a bucket of beets.

A wheel barrel full of red potatoes. Dirt and all!

Bob stills has to dig the Yukon Gold and russets.

A big pile of pumpkins, gourds, buttercup squash, and spaghetti squash.

Another pile of pumpkins and squash.

Here are the grapes Bob picked from our vineyard. We'll make juice tomorrow and maybe jelly. Sometimes I freeze the pulp after making the juice and make the jelly at a later time. I'm not sure what I'll do tomorrow. It's nice to take out a bag of grape pulp and make jelly. It sure doesn't take very long when it's pre-measured and frozen.

It's Still Fall - I Think

2008-10-22T18:56:00.004-04:00

This morning on my way to work I experience a few snow showers. During the morning, there were several snow flakes coming down. Nothing accumulated, but it was exciting to watch. It really is beautiful here when it snows. I don't think it will be too much longer before we get measurable amounts of snow. But until winter settles in, I'm going to continue enjoying the beauty of fall and the fall treats that find their way to our office.

This morning on the conference table was a basket of homemade carmel dipped apples. I saved mine so I could take it home and share with Bob.

The apples were all packaged so nicely.

Without the wrapping you can see how delicious it looks. A Granny Smith apple dipped in carmel, dribbled with chocolate, and topped with crushed peanuts.
The lady that made them said they were easy to make, but I know I would have a gigantic mess if I tried. All of hers looked perfect!!

Mom's Apple Cake Recipe

2008-10-21T22:03:00.005-04:00

I was excited to receive an apple recipe today from Rachael. We have a lot of apples so tonight when I got home from work I decided to make the apple cake rather than make applesauce again (last night I make six jars of applesauce). Once the cake came out of the oven and cooled a little, I couldn't resist trying a piece. It's delicious!!! Bob wanted a piece too, but he doesn't eat between meals so he said he'd have a piece for breakfast. Funny, I'll have one for breakfast too!!!

Mom's Apple Cake

6 apples, I used McIntosh apples

1 T cinnamon

5 T sugar

2 3/4 cups flour

1 T baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

2 1/2 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a tube pan. Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean.

I am changing the name of this cake to Rachael's Apple Cake just because she's the one that discovered it!!!

Hallelujah! The House is Finished!!!!!

2008-10-20T21:27:00.004-04:00

The house is finished!!! Shannon, the kids, and I had a great time doing gymnastics on the living room floor. That carpet is sure nice and soft and clean!!! The appraiser came today and tomorrow the inspector will come and hopefully we will have the occupancy permit. Ryan and Lisa are anxious to get moved in to their new home. It turned out really nice. Everthing is like new. Bob was singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" on the way home.

It was so much fun playing with the kids. Shannon called me this evening and asked if I was sore? Nope! Shannon wasn't so lucky.

Signs of Fall at our House

2008-10-20T19:56:00.005-04:00

Here are a few pictures around our place that don't really do justice to the beauty, but you can get an idea of how beautiful it is here.

This is one of the maple trees in our front yard.

Lola

The back of our house

The two kitties that live at house house now.

Looking out toward the back of the property.

Concord grapes.

Punkin enjoying the beautiful weather.

We have a lot of work to do before we are ready for winter. So far all we have done is have the heating oil tank filled. We still need to have wood and coal delivered. Bob has to repair the chimney too. Bob brought in the winter squash today, but we still have to dig the potatoes, carrots, and beets. Weather reports predict a possibility of snow this Thursday. We need to hurry.

Fall Friday

2008-10-17T18:13:00.002-04:00

Today was a very busy day. We're trying to finish up on the house Ryan and Lisa are going to buy and we're trying to get our house ready for winter.

These are the beautiful fall leaves that are presently covering our driveway. If we don't get a big wind storm soon, we'll have to rake them up.

This is a picture of the house Ryan and Lisa are going to buy. I had to go down early this morning to meet with the district manager of Home Depot and the owner of Innovative Stone. The granite counter tops that were installed in the house, have pits all over them and I'm having a fit. They are suppose to get back with me next week to let me know what can be done about it. My granite counter top doesn't have pits and Lori's granite counter top doesn't have pits and I've never seen a display one with pits.

This picture didn't turn out very well and I only took one. I've already washed and put them in the freezer. Bob picked these today from our raspberry patch. It's suppose to freeze tonight, so this is probably the last of the berries.

Bob found a yellow iris in my flower "cutting" garden. I think it must be confused about what time of year it is.

I also picked up this machine to help me with making the applesauce.

We baked buttercup winter squash today. We have quite a lot of this from our garden.

Bob seasoned it with a little salt, butter, and maple syrup. It is delicious.

I'm glad it's Sabbath and I can relax. Bob has the fireplace lit and I think I'll go join him on the couch.

Lori Comes to Visit . . .

2008-10-13T09:15:00.009-04:00

The weather here is absolutely perfect. And the fall colors are at their peak. Just beautiful. We were so blessed to have Lori come for a long weekend to visit. She and Todd had both planned to come but with the weather being so nice, he had much to do on the farm to finish off the season. Lori brought a surprise with her. Kristen!!! Lori asked Rachael and Derrick if Kristen could come along with her to help with Anthony and I'm sure glad they agreed. Anthony has changed so much since the last time I got to hold him back in May. The weekend was wonderful and it ended much too soon. The most disappointing thing that happened this weekend was that I misplaced my camera and missed many "Kodak" moments!!! I'll share a few of the pictures that I took before my misfortune.

As soon as Kristen arrived she found the kitties, or should I say, the kitties found Kristen. These are Matt's kittens and are two of the sweetest cats we've ever been around.

Kristen helping Anthony play with his new tractor driving toy from auntie Shannon and Madeline.

Kristen played a few songs for me on the piano. She is very good and so talented. I wish she had brought her music so she could have played special music at church on Sabbath.

Madeline and Anthony playing with his new toy. I think he's showing Madeline how it works.

On Friday we went shopping at the Outlet Mall and Lori found socks and a hat to go with an outfit she had order on-line for Anthony. He loved his new hat.

Anthony is really getting into this driving thing!

During our Friday afternoon shopping spree, we stopped by a Mennonite store and they had the most adorable little play houses. This is the inside loft of one of the houses. Lori's going to ask Todd to build one for Anthony. She took lots of pictures so he'll know exactly what she wants.

I love this little boy!!!

Shannon went into the attic and pulled this toy out for Anthony to play on. He loved it.

Tony loved bath-time.

Anthony decided to do some exploring on his own.

He found the stairs and started checking them out.

He also checked out some pumpkins from grandpa's garden.

We couldn't pass up using the eggplants and tomatoes Lori brought with her from the family farm in Michigan. We made eggplant sandwiches!!! Oh, were they good!!!! I wish I had more. We also made eggplant lasagna which we enjoyed Saturday evening. Lisa and Ryan and the children, Shannon and Madeline, Lori and Anthony and Kristen, and Grandpa and me all little piggies when it came to dinner.

Anthony tried homemade canned pears for the first time. All by himself!

Ready for another meal.

This time, auntie Shannon fed him. He is such a good little eater.

After dinner, Anthony liked to help clean-up.

What a wonderful weekend! I have been so blessed.

This past summer has been filled with many blog posts that should have been posted, I just was having too much fun and it takes me so long to post. Ryan and Lisa's house is almost completed and soon they will be moving into their newly remodeled home and life for Bob and I will be back to . . . well I'll just say there will be less activity here at home. I'll miss all the hugs and kisses. We've enjoyed having them live with us for the past five months.

We Visit William Miller Chapel and Home

2008-09-24T17:09:00.009-04:00

Although we have been busy from sunrise to sunset while here in Albany, we just couldn't leave without visiting the William Miller Chapel and Home. So on Monday, the pastors carpooled to Whitehall, New York a one and a half hours drive to explore this historic site.

Bob and I had planned on taking our vehicle with additional passengers, but were pleasantly pleased to be able to tag along in another car. The driver was a pastor that had recently moved from Southern California and we could tell that he had driven in California. If fact he tailed one lady so close, that she finally pulled off on the shoulder so he could go ahead of her. Fast and tail-gating was the driving style he chose on our trip until we got in the middle of no-where and the GPS got lost - which meant we were also lost. I had printed a map-quest and taken it along with me, however, the two in the front were certain that the GPS would get us there. Wrong!!! I of course had my doubts, because of the direction difficulties I have had with my GPS. The map-quest proved not to help either, because we didn't know where we were. Finally we found someone in a truck on the side of the road and stopped and asked for directions. We were only a few miles from where we were going. And, because he drove so fast, even though we got lost, we were the third car to arrive!! We sure had fun teasing this pastor about his California driving. He was a good sport about it.

This is the William Miller Chapel.

This is the old pump organ that is in the chapel. I would love to have an old pump organ in my home. I remember playing my great grandmother's pump organ when I would go to visit her. Playing the organ and swinging on the swing hanging from the large mulberry tree in the front yard are two of my fondest memories of visiting.

Here Bob and I are on Ascension Rock. As the story goes, some waited at this Rock on October 22, 1844, for the Second Coming of Jesus in the clouds of heaven. This day is referred to as the "Great Disappointment".

William Miller's home built in the early 1800's.

Here is the parlor. Another old pump organ. And notice the spinning wheel. I think I would like to try spinning some day. Soon!!!

The bedroom. Notice the block propped up by the foot of the bed. That would be heated in the fireplace and placed in the bed to help keep the bed warm in the winter.

It was a wonderful day. I could have spent several more hours, but we had to get back. Before leaving the area, we all went to eat at the Fair-Haven Inn. They have excellent food! I ordered an eggplant sandwich and Bob ordered a grilled portabello mushroom sandwich then we shared. They were delicious.

It's Been a Long Week

2008-09-12T19:58:00.003-04:00

The traffic here in Albany brings back memories of when we lived in California. I'm so thankful I now live in a little town in New York and there isn't heavy traffic. I've been "running" all week and today I had to go out and try to find some place to make copies. I didn't have any luck, so I just used my scanner/copier that I brought from home. It took a while, but I accomplished my task.

Before leaving for our trip to Albany, I had to can pears. A church member has a pear tree and doesn't like pears, so he picked them and brought them over to us. I think canned pears are my favorite. I just love them.

I canned a total of 15 jars. I can hardly wait for winter so I can open a jar and eat them. Maybe I won't wait until winter. We'll see.

This week my work days were long and busy and then when I finally got home, I had a million things that had to get done. We had to leave by noon on Thursday to make it to Albany for our first meeting. Thursday morning, I had to do four loads of laundry before we could pack. So while the laundry was going, I cleaned up the house a little and canned pears. Bob was busy pulling the onions in the garden so they could dry while we were away and then he had to vacuum and clean both vehicles. But first, he had to unload all the stuff I had brought home from the office that had to go to Albany. At eleven o'clock, the last load of laundry was finished. I retreived our luggage out of the back storage room and started packing. Both Bob and I had to pack un-ironed clothes. There just wasn't time to iron. We don't get to stay in a four star motel. Let's just say, it's not a place you want to spend too much time in and the chances of it having an iron and ironing board were questionable. So I brought my own iron and ironing board. I also had to quickly pack a few other things to bring with me that have been needing my attention at home, but haven't made it to the top of my to do list. We still haven't filed our taxes for '07 so I had to bring all our receipts and adding machine. Our accountant was hoping to receive this information in August, but I didn't quite make that deadline. Bob called him to see if we could make another extension. Our accountant just laughed. We knew the answer, we were just hoping. Then Rachael had sent me beautiful fabric and a pattern to make pajamas for American Girl dolls to sell in her Etsy store, and I haven't done that yet either. So, I packed my sewing accessories, the fabric, pattern and my sewing machine. Then I had to pack a couple of new books that I purchased at Sturbridge Village. One of them is a new cookbook with recipes using pumpkin. We have lots of pumpkins in the garden so I'm hoping to try some new recipes when I get back home. I have to work on the advertising, and plan for a cooking school that I'm leading out in the first Sunday in October, so I had to bring stuff to work on that too.

Bob packed both vehicles and we headed out at 12:30 p.m. We were very tired and had to fight falling asleep as we drove, but we made it safely.

Bob and I went out to eat and pick-up a few more craft items and when we returned to the motel, the pastors that Bob is on the team with were going to be leaving in half an hour. I had to do some ironing for the weekend, so I decided to just stay in the motel room and relax.

My boss has called several times this evening, and I just received another call, so I'll have to cut my blog off for now. I have another project he wants done.

Potluck Blog

2008-09-08T17:30:00.007-04:00

There have been many blogable events. I'll catch you up on a few of the blogs that could have been a complete blog, but . . .

Last Thursday, the granite counter tops were installed in the house Ryan and Lisa are buying. They are really pretty and Lisa is anxious to start moving in. But that won't happen until sometime in November. The well still isn't hooked-up yet. The drillers were working on it today.

Matthew found this little snake when he was playing outside at the house we are working on. And this snake reminds me of a story I was going to tell about when Tina and I were at Sturbridge Village. We had just come out of a basement and we were talking about the snakes that seem to find their way into my basement in New York. As we walked toward the stone stairs that led to an outside meeting area where there was someone telling stories, a snake squirmed across the stairs we were just about to step on. We both screamed and ran the opposite direction. Snakes are just too creepy.

Genie has been in retirement status for over a year. She died over by the barn and Bob and Ryan just couldn't seem to figure out the problem. They suspected an electrical problem. We were going to have to pay to have it serviced to get it going. But, Ryan and the boys went out last Sunday and worked on it and within a short amount of time, it was running again. They loaded it on the trailer and took it down to the house that we are remodeling.

Gracie loves to look at books. When she goes to bed she takes several books and her baby doll.

And, now the big surprise!!! Lola was groomed today. She looks beautiful. The dog groomer said that she was the sweetest dog. She never snapped at her even once. She really is a good dog. When I brought her home, the first thing she did when she got out of the car, was to run and sit in the slammer. She is such a silly dog.

While I was at Sturbridge Village, I bought these two little colonial hats for Hannah and Gracie. They love playing like they are Laura and Carrie from Little House on the Prairie. The girls were pretend cooking on the old cook stove in my dining room.

It won't be long before we start making grape juice.

Tina and I Visit Sturbridge Village

2008-09-03T06:59:00.013-04:00

Tina and I had a great time touring Sturbridge Village together yesterday. We were both disappointed that Diane wasn't able to join us. When I e-mailed Tina to let her know that I would be in Massachusetts for a meeting on Wednesday, we put our heads together and decided to meet on Tuesday, and not just for dinner. Tina suggested that we meet in the morning and spend the day at Sturbridge Village and then end the day with dinner at the Publick house. That sounded good to me, so we both took the day off from work and headed for Massachusetts. Tina started in Connecticut and I started in New York. We met at the bookstore and I think I could have spent several hours in there. It is the greatest little store. Not only did it have books, there was a gift shop too. I just loved it. I found several books that I purchased for gifts. We had to put a time limit on our shopping. We couldn't spend the whole day in the bookstore/gift shop. Could we? I think we could have, but it would have been a shame to miss out on the village. It was amazing!!! Sometimes as we toured through some of the simple old houses, I would think how nice it would be to live such a simple life style, but I soon was reminded of why I'm so thankful that I live in the modern days of washing machines, air conditioning, heating, in-door plumbing, electricity and the list goes on.

We started our day at the book store.

This is where Bob and I would have lived in the 1800's. It was a pretty nice house. But in those days the pastor just rented their house because they had a one year contract and were paid $400 at the end of the year. It would be too difficult to have your own house when you might be moving yearly.

This is the saw mill where you would go if you needed lumber.

This was the mode of transportation.

Covered Bridge

This is the Cooper. The Cooper was also a farmer, but he could make more money being a Cooper than a farmer. Being a farmer you could make about 30 cents a day, but being a Cooper you could make up to $1.50 a day but usually just 90 cents.

There was a potter in town too. This is the kiln where up to 800 items would be loaded to be fired.
Here is a picture of the inside of the brick kiln. The potter said that he would lose about 10% of the items due to misfortunes during the firing.

Tina poses next to the white picket fence that is a must in the olden days.

The printer told us that the paper in the early 1800's was made out of white rags. The binding of books was done by hand stitching. I sure am glad I have a photo copier in the office. I would never get all my work done if I had to copy one sheet at a time. Not to mention that I would have to set the type too. This was amazing. He would get $30 for 2,000 copies. He didn't print newspapers. Just political advertisements and books.

This man makes tin pitchers, bowls, candle holders, etc. (I can't remember what he was called)

I think this little house is so cute and I want Bob to build one for me so I can use it as a potting shed. I took a picture so he'll know exactly what I want.

This is one reason I don't want to live in the 1800's. But this outhouse had two seats. So I guess two could be in there at a time. Maybe so you wouldn't be scared when you had to go out there at night.

It was called a Privy - not an outhouse.

This was growing outside the "Privy"

One of the gardens.

I was quite sure that I could wash clothes and churn butter at the same time. So I tried.

This is what the dish rags/clothes were hung on to dry.

Here is the kitchen. We found out that they would spread sand on the kitchen floor so that it would stay clean. The floor would be swept once a week. The sand kept the oil and fat drippings from getting on the wood floor. Interesting. Tina and I thought that there would be sand all over the house, but we were told that the shoes worn in the house were flat on the bottom so there wasn't a problem with that.

In this kitchen, we were told that breakfast consisted of fried cucumbers. You slice cucumbers about 1/8 inch thick, dip in flour, salt and pepper, and fry in butter. We were told they are delicious. I'm kinda hesitant about trying this recipe. But, maybe . . .

A lean-to storing fire-wood outside the kitchen door for handy use.

The church. The men sat on one side and the women on the other side.

This lady was showing us how to dye wool. I asked her how they could boil the wool without it shrinking, and she told me that you have to gradually warm the wool up starting with cool water, then a little warmer, a little warmer, a little warmer, and so on. She also said that at the general store you could purchase urine. Yes you could have a home business of collecting urine and then sell it to the general store. People would buy it because of the acid content to color the yarn. (Tina. Help me out here. I can't remember the rest of the story.) I think I would stick to just plain wool. Urine? No Thank YOu!!!

No curtain rods needed here. They used a string.

This blue must have been a popular color in the 1800's. The house we bought had this color on the woodwork in the upstairs hallway and bedrooms.

This lady was in the general store. It was so cute. We asked her why they wore a bonnet all the time. She let us know that people in those days didn't wash their hair but maybe once a year. She said there was a real problem with lice. She also told us that people only bathed once or twice a year. She said the odor was horrible. I would think so. And, no thank you for living in the 1800's.

Tina and I finished our day with dinner. The food was fabulous. Why is it salads taste so good at a restaurant? Tina had butternut squash ravioli and I had fettuccine Alfredo along with the salads. It was all delicious. We loved the fresh pecan sticky buns that were included in the baskets of assorted rolls.

It was a perfect day and ended much too soon. As we went to our cars to say our good-byes we continued talking and it was so difficult to say good-bye. Tina had brought some clothes for Gracie that her granddaughters had outgrown. They are really cute and I know Gracie will enjoy wearing them. There was a gift exchange and we were on our way - in different directions.

Thank you Tina for making my trip to Massachusetts so memorable and fun. It was great spending the day with you.

Grandpa and the Yard Sale

2008-09-01T14:40:00.004-04:00

Last Wednesday evening after prayer meeting, Bob went through some of the donations that the members gave for the yearly yard sale. He found a box full of horses and immediately gave me a call to ask if he should buy them. He gave a donation for the treasured box of horses and brought them home. When Hannah and Gracie arrived home from their vacation, Hannah asked grandpa if he had anything special for them. When grandpa brought out the box of horses there were cheers and jumps of joy as they were handed that box of horses. They played with the horses the entire evening. When the girls had to go to bed, they put the horses to bed too.

They sure enjoyed their new horses.

The girls were asking us for name suggestions. When we would suggest a name they would suggest another name instead.

The girls are ready for bed and they get to take one horse each to sleep with.
This is where the girls decided that the rest of the horses should spend the night.

The girls have been having fun playing with the horses all weekend. What a great find!!!

Life has returned to normal . . .

2008-08-29T07:58:00.000-04:00

I love being off work every Friday. But, then that's not the correct wording. Maybe I should say I enjoy not having to go into the office on Fridays.

Bob left early this morning. Ryan and Lisa and the children are still away on vacation (they should be arriving sometime today). So that leaves me to decide all by myself what I should do. I do have a few errands I need to run today, but that will be this afternoon.

However, there is a small problem. My leg that got poked on Monday evening when I was chasing the chickens has become infected and is very painful. It's red and swollen and I'd take a picture to show you, but I don't want to gross anyone out. So just take my word for it. Bob told me to call the doctor, but I sure hate to spend our money on a doctor's visit. Then Bob reminded me about his leg about a year or so ago that started out like mine and then he ended up in the hospital. He said it would be cheaper to go to the doctor now than to end up in the hospital, so I told him I would call and make an appointment.

With the kids arriving home today, I wanted to make sure we had lots of goodies because I knew they would be hungry when they got home. What to make? Then I saw the zucchini from the garden on the kitchen counter. I can't let that go to waist. I'll make zucchini bread.

I made seven loaves of zucchini bread.

A batch of chocolate chip cookies. I like using the mini chocolate chips. And, Francie taught me a new trick for making your cookies stay soft. When you take the pan out of the oven, you drop it on the counter and the cookies flatten immediately making them stay soft. I thought she didn't know what she was talking about when she showed me that trick when she and Natalie were here a few week ago and made cookies, but the cookies she made were soft, so I gave it a try.

While the cookies were baking I made a batch of bread. Here they are in the oven. They are almost done. When I started the bread, I called my doctor's office to see if I could get in. The receptionist said they could see me at 10:30. I explained that I had just started making bread and I needed to let it rise and then bake. The receptionist gave me a 1:00 appointment. That meant I had to leave by 12:00 noon to get there.

The boys love lentil casserole, so I quickly put together the lentils and cooked it on the stove. It doesn't take long to make. I put it in jars to keep in the refrigerator so it would be ready for supper when they arrived home.

Before Bob left, he requested that I make some granola. I mixed up the granola and as soon as the bread came out of the oven I put the granola in to bake. It has to bake for 8 hours at 200 degrees. It baked while I went to my doctor's appointment and ran errands.

With the laundry finished, the house cleaned, and the cooking and baking completed, I quickly got ready to leave for my appointment. I took a loaf of zucchini bread and regular bread for my doctor and the receptionist.

The doctor told me that I have cellulitis and gave me a prescription and told me that if it's not better in four days to come back. I'll be out of town next week, so I'm hoping my leg gets better soon.

When I drove into the driveway I was so happy to see tarps, camping gear, the canoe, camp chairs, towels, bags of laundry, a big tube, and four kids running all over the place!!! Life , as I have grown to love, had returned to normal.

Life in Blog Land

2008-08-28T20:07:00.002-04:00

I never thought for a moment that I would meet such wonderful people through my blog. My daughters set it up for me so I could leave comments on their blogs. But I surprised them when I got hooked on blogging. I decided to blog so my daughters could keep up with my busy life and I love my daughters blogging because I get to read and see what they are up to and keep up to date on what my grandchildren are up to. I miss them so much and always look forward to their visits to my house or my visits to their house. I'm so disappointed this fall, because I won't be able to go and take care of my four little grandchildren in Michigan while their mom and dad are away for a few days. Bob and I will be in Albany helping with evangelistic meetings and my boss would never let me off during that time. Blogging also allows me to keep up with friends that are miles away that I've left behind when Bob and I moved across the country 3 1/2 years ago.

It is so exciting to read the comments that my faithful family leave on my blog posts. But, it's a real treat to have a visitor leave a comment. And, the funny thing is, I've met several people from my blogging that I've got to meet personally. Today I received a comment from a lady in Canada. She left a comment on one of my blogs that I wrote way back in September of 2007.

I'm looking forward to next Tuesday when Tina (my blogging friend) and I will once again meet up in Massachusetts to do some site-seeing and shopping together and then end our visit with dinner. Our friend, Diane, who lives close to Tina, won't be able to join us this time, and I'm going to really miss her company. The three of us have had such fun times together. Tina and I have become good friends. She even allowed me to be her puppy's nanny. Liesel sends me gifts and cards which always puts a smile on my face.

Tina, I'm looking forward to our time together next week. I must say . . . I'm sooooooo excited!!

So, to all my friends, family, and anonymous readers. Thanks for all your words of encouragement, thoughtful suggestions, and kindness expressed.

Until next time . . .

I Love Okra

2008-08-27T19:30:00.003-04:00

When I arrived home today from work, I walked into the kitchen and the smell of fresh garlic and dill was in the air. Bob had cut dill, pulled garlic, and picked the okra from the garden and it was waiting for me when I got home. Last year I made pickled okra and Matthew and Ryan love it, so I decided to make some more this year. Last year I had to buy my dill and garlic, but this year Bob planted some.

Here is the fresh dill, garlic and okra. There was more okra that he had put in the refrigerator.

There was enough okra to pickle three quarts. I saved out some of the okra and fried it for supper and had fresh sliced tomatoes with it. Yum!!!

I'm not going to do it . . .

2008-08-25T21:22:00.002-04:00

This evening when I got home from work, I came into the empty house and ate my supper and watched the news. Then I decided I should go and put the chickens in the chicken coop. I didn't want to wait till it was too dark because that barn doesn't have lights and it's very scary even in the day light. As I opened the door to the barn, my heart was beating extra hard. I was carrying my little egg gathering basket and my camera. I just knew something was going to run across in front of me, but nothing did. As I reached the coop, I had to go and check all the nests for eggs. Most of the nests are higher than I can see into so I have to just reach up and feel around. That was scary too, because I could just imagine finding a mouse or snake. But I didn't. I found a total of three eggs. So far so good. No animals had been seen on the way to the coop and no strange critters found in the nests. That's the end of so far so good story. The rest of the story . . .

I went into the chicken yard to catch the baby chicks. Ten baby chicks! They are fast and didn't want to be caught. I chased them all over the yard trying to corner them, and tossing lose pieces of wood trying to get them into a corner so I could catch them. Then the seven big chickens kept running in and out of the chicken house and I was afraid of the rooster. I caught nine of the little chicks and put them in the coop, but I could not catch that last little chick. I continued trying to catch that last little chicken and fell on a tree limb and poked a hole in my leg and it was bleeding and hurting. Then I cornered the chick with a piece of wood in one hand and somehow it got away from me and I fell and bent my fingernail back and it started bleeding. By now I was in tears and it was getting dark. I shut the door to the chicken coop, grabbed my basket with the eggs and my camera and ran as fast as I could with a hurt leg out of the barn.

I went into the house and called Bob and told him that there was no way I could take care of the chickens. And then I started crying. He asked me if I could let them out in the morning, feed them, and then he would come home in the evening to take care of them. I thought I could probably do that. I'm not a very good farmer's wife when it comes to taking care of all these animals. And chickens are the worst! I think I prefer to buy my eggs at the store if I have to take care of the chickens.

It was a day of memory making. . .

2008-08-25T18:42:00.010-04:00

Shannon, Madeline, and I had a great time at the State Fair yesterday. The weather was almost perfect, just a little on the hot side, but we all survived. Shannon and I are direction and map challenged and had difficulty figuring out where all the shows and attractions were located and ended up missing some of the shows we were hoping to see. But we had fun trying to find them anyway. We did find several. Some were by chance.

This was the birds of prey show and there were fifteen live birds of prey that entertained us. Madeline was chosen to feed the Bald Eagle. She thought that was pretty special. That Bald Eagle doesn't look real does it? But it is!!!

We took a stroll in the cattle barn too. These cows are so pampered!

When we lived in California, Bob and I went to the State Fair and saw the miniature horses and I fell in love with them. I wanted one with a little buggy so that I could take my grandchildren for rides in the buggy with me. So I was excited to get to watch the miniature horses competition.

Madeline and I liked this miniature horse, but it wasn't for sale.

This miniature horse is for sale. I fell in love with it. I think I would call it Sweet Heart!! But then they told me how much it cost and I knew Bob would never let me have it.

We enjoyed the bear performance.

These chickens were interesting.

Shannon and Madeline rode the bumper cars.

Madeline and I raced to see who would reach the bottom first. Madeline won. But just by a couple of inches.

We all three rode the Ferris wheel.

As we were leaving the fair grounds, we heard that there was a thunderstorm three miles away. We decided we should walk as fast as possible so we could make it to the car before the rain started. A group of people were ahead of us. I was power walking up the hill to the parking lot, and Shannon and Madeline were dragging their feet some distance behind me. I turned and said, "Come on, Move It!" The guy in front of me turned around and looked at me. Then I realized that he thought I was saying it to him. When he and several of the others that were in front of me realized that I was saying that to my daughter and grand-daughter at the bottom of the hill and not to them, they all started laughing. Boy, was I glad.

We made it to the car just before the rains began. It was a big storm and it continued all the way home. Shannon decided that they should just spend the night and leave early in the morning. Monday was Madeline's first day back to school, and we had fun trying to find something for her to wear since they wouldn't have time to go home before going to school. Rachael had sent some of Katya's clothes that she had outgrown for Hannah so we went through those and found a top that fit Madeline. I had a jean skirt that Madeline had left the last time she visited, so she was all set for school. She looked really cute.

I have to feed the chickens too?

2008-08-23T18:08:00.007-04:00

I just found out that I'm going to be taking care of all the animals this week. By myself. I think I can handle all of them except the chickens are going to be most challenging. Bob gave me a lesson today on how and what I have to do for the chickens.

First thing in the morning I have to go through this door to let the chickens out. This door leads to the basement of the barn and it hasn't been cleaned out from the former owners and it's full of all kinds of junk. Punkin likes to go exploring in this part of the barn so I'm hoping she'll want to go with me just in case other critters are exploring at the same time I go in.

Once I enter the door to the barn basement, I have to walk down this walkway.

Junk everywhere.

Once I get to the back of the basement I turn to the left and I have to open this door to get to the chicken coup.

Then I have to check the boxes for eggs.

Here's an egg in the corner.

We gathered four eggs total. Here are two Bob found in one box.

Over on the left is where we will put my miniature horse when I get it. I hope I'm still able to walk by myself when we get it and the barn is still standing.

This is the hole I have to crawl through in the evening to catch the baby chicks and bring them in to their cage. I hope my hips fit through that hole.

This is the chicken yard that the chickens run around in all day. See the hole in the barn on the left? That's the hole I'll be coming through to catch the baby chicks.

I hope all goes well this week. But for now, I'm heading to the State Fair with Shannon and Madeline. I'll worry about the chickens tomorrow.

They're in town . . .

2008-08-22T19:42:00.005-04:00

Bob and I were working on the house in Geneva today. Shannon called and suggested that we all go over and check out the Extreme Makeover house that is being built in town. It sounded good to us, so after lunch Shannon and Madeline came over and we headed to town to take a look. We weren't allowed to drive in, but we found a parking place and walked about three blocks to the site. On our walk, we met five people carrying decorative pillows and bolts of fabric. I think they must have been the ones that were going to be sewing the drapes, etc. The fabric was beautiful. Bright and cheery. I should have taken a picture, but I didn't think about it until after they were already out of site.

Here are some of the trailers that were parked in a nearby vacant parking lot.

This is the house they are building. It's hard to imagine that this house will be completely finished inside and out including the landscaping by Monday afternoon.

These two guys were taking a little break.

This is the house next door. I heard from one of the on-lookers that the neighbors houses on each side will be getting a new roof and landscaping from the design team also.

These guys were good sports to pose with us for a picture.

We didn't see any of the stars of the show, but I did buy two pairs of shoes from a local shoe store and the sales lady told me that Ty Pennington had come in earlier in the week and purchased a pair of boots and flip-flops. I think it would be fun to be there on Monday to see the finished house and the filming of the show. But, I have to work - so I'll just watch it on television. I'm not sure when it will air.