Note To Self

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Labor Day Weekend. David and I have to get away from the house or we will labor all weekend because that’s what we do. We are always puttering around this old house and its gardens. So, we planned a trip to see Noah’s Ark. The Ark Encounter is located in Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati. It was built as an exact replica of the ark described in the Bible. This time we took no grandchildren nor did we go with anyone else. We decided we wanted to see this for ourselves and take the time to see it properly.

So with David behind the wheel, we were off. Driving on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River this time. I must say, I really enjoyed the ride as it was different from how we usually go to Cincinnati. We followed the Ohio River a good portion of the way.

We got to the park about 11:30 in the morning. We had stopped at this really nice coffee shop where they had the best Boston crème donuts I have every eaten and I liked their coffee too. Anyway, see that lady there? Just want to say she and her husband were so nice and were smarter than David and I. Know why? They bought their entrance tickets online and suddenly someone came along the line and said if you already had your tickets. you could get in line for the bus. David and I did not have our tickets. They did, so they left us. Note to self, if we are going to a popular place where tickets are required, buy them online. We would have saved at least an hour’s time in line if we had done so.

So, we waited and waited in line. I don’t think the people at the Ark Encounter were expecting so many people, but it being a holiday weekend, there were thousands there. People just kept coming. Thankfully, it wasn’t too hot and there was a nice breeze. Finally, we got to the ticket booth and purchased our tickets. Everyone gets a wristband to wear to get on the bus to the ark. Then we got into another queue to get on the bus.

These buses ran continuously all day taking people to the ark. It was so nice to finally get to sit down. The bus takes you on a winding road to the ark.

Then, suddenly, there it is in front of you and I have to say I said out loud, “Omigosh!” It was huge.

And so beautiful.

Then we got into another queue to get into the ark. After the obligatory picture they take of you, that they would try to sell to you in the gift shop after your trip though the ark, we finally actually stepped into the ark, two hours and forty five minutes after arriving at the parking lot!

By that time we were exhausted.

We began to walk through the ark. It was so beautifully made. The largest timber-framed structure in the world today. It is hard to imagine one man and his three sons making something so huge in Biblical times, but it was God’s plan and people lived a whole lot longer when the world was fresh and new and didn’t have the distractions we do today. It probably took them decades to build. This ark took men just a little over a year to build with all the modern equipment we have today.

There were so many exhibits. This may have been what their living spaces

looked like on the ark. Since they had no idea how long they would be on the boat, they would surely have wanted their living spaces to be comfortable.

Food may have been stored in earthenware pots such as these. Think how much food was needed to feed all the animals and the eight people on board for such a long period of time.

Cages of all sizes lined the walls. Young animals of every species of the day were brought on board, one male, one female. Noah would probably not have brought elderly animals or animals past their prime for having babies. We have no idea what some of the animals looked like back those many millenniums ago. Elephants may not have looked like they do today. Giraffes may have had shorter necks. The truth is, we don’t know what animals looked like in Noah’s day for the most part.

Who knows what animals were all on the boat? There were thousands upon thousands. Even then, there was room for more. The only things we do know for sure is the size of the boat, what people were on it. and that animals were rescued to replenish the earth after the flood. By the way. Did you know there have been stories all over the world down through the centuries telling about massive floods but that in only one of them were there survivors? Noah and his family are the only known survivors of a worldwide flood that killed everything that could not breathe under water.

This was a robotic Noah who told his story. Children were captivated by him. I noticed how they would go right to the front and listen with interest to one of the most amazing stories of mankind. So thankful parents are teaching their children the Bible and its truths.

There was no rest on the ark for all those days they were aboard. Cages needed repaired, animals fed and watered and the animal waste disposed of. What a job!

When they had time to rest, they probably studied the scriptures. Noah was a righteous man and his family must have been righteous people.

They were metal workers and wood workers. All these skills were needed to build the ark and would be needed after they returned to dry land.

Some people scoff at the story of Noah and the ark, but if it’s in the Bible, it’s a true story. This sign says it all about how satan wants to convince us that it isn’t true. Then you won’t believe any of the Bible. You cannot pick and choose what to believe and what to set aside. It’s all in there for a reason, whether to teach a lesson or show the way to Jesus Christ. Did you know the story of Noah and the ark is also an analogy of how people accept or reject Jesus Christ?

You see, God has a plan. Has had it since the beginning of time. He knew men would be sinful and need to be made fit for Heaven because sin cannot abide in Heaven. So, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for all of us. Jesus bore our sins upon himself on the cross. God’s only requirement? That you accept this gift of salvation and His Son as your Savior. Many people reject that gift and would rather live a sin filled life. That is what happened in Noah’s day. Men were so sinful, God was going to destroy his entire creation, but He saw one man, Noah, who was righteous and decided it was worth a second try. The ark represents salvation. Then there is the door. There was only one door in the ark. Just as there is only one way to Heaven.

The day the rains began, God shut that door and no one else could enter. Jesus is the door to Heaven, and one day that door will be shut also, if you reject Him. There will be no second chances. God will close the door once for all and those who are in Christ will be with Him in Heaven. When I stood by that door, my heart ached for all those who have rejected Jesus. Who think there is no Heaven or Hell. Do you know Jesus talked more about hell while He was on earth because He doesn’t want anyone to go there? No one. He loves us all. Everyone around the world. If you are reading this, He loves you, too. I hope you have a relationship with Him.

Another thing I noticed about the ark was the lighting. It wasn’t bright, but you could still see everything. Almost like it was lit by oil lamps. Every once in a while I would stand back and just look around at the ark, at the people and think how amazing it all was. Some of the exhibits were in little alcoves which became quite claustrophobic for me when twenty or more people crowded around. People were taking pictures, as was David and I. Note to self. Next time you go to the ark, leave the camera behind and just soak in the atmosphere and read all about the exhibits. One man backing up to take a picture stepped right on David. I was wishing that cellphones had not been invented because at some of the exhibits that was all you could see. But all in all, people were kind to one another and it was a really nice day.

After we got out of the ark we realized we hadn’t gone to the zoo there yet, but we were so exhausted, we said, “Next time.” We bought some drinks and a big bag of kettle corn and walked to get back on the bus. Note to self. Wear crocs next time. They are the only shoes I can walk in for hours without my feet hurting. By the end of the day I felt like I was walking on stumps. We got to our motel and I laid down and went right to sleep!

The next day we returned home, again along the Ohio River. We took back roads and came across one area where people had Summer cabins on the river. Some were already closed up for the season. We went through some little towns with neat old houses.

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye I saw something on my window and I thought it was inside the car and I screamed and David swerved the car. What was it?

This gigantic praying mantis had landed on my window, thankfully, outside.

David had to get outside and take more pictures of it. It was the biggest one I have ever seen. He knocked it off the window and we went on our way.

Watching barges make their way slowly down the Ohio River.

It was good to get home, but I would recommend seeing the ark. Whether you are a believer or not, it’s an amazing structure.

Today was Labor Day and David and I did labor. David had to work today so I decided to stain more boards for the fence we are replacing. I worked all day and I am glad I finished them today because it is suppose to be hot and humid once again tomorrow. Ugh.

Fifty boards, after staining hundreds of others, and we are only half done with the fencing. Next year.

Hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend if you celebrate it.

Here’s to a righteous man who listened to God. Bye.

What’s Going On

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Well, I’m just sitting here wondering where in the world Summer went. It came in a blast of rain and heat and is leaving the same way. I had so many plans. Some came to fruition, others went by the wayside. Like I totally missed our state fair again this year. Every year David and I say we want to go, but this year we had a nasty bug and were waylaid for a couple of weeks, so we missed it.

I wanted to go to the zoo. Haven’t made it there.

I’ve wanted to go on a picnic somewhere besides our backyard. Haven’t done it.

I have been swimming a whole lot more since it’s been so hot and humid this Summer. But because of the heat and humidity, our lawn grows tall enough that we could bale it before we get the energy to go out and mow.

We tried to buy some more land which would have meant more mowing and I was wondering, “What are we thinking?” Luckily, we didn’t get it. They wanted way more than we were willing to pay. It was all David’s idea. But I always go along with him. We are partners in crime, after all.

I took care of dogs and chickens all Summer. Plus fed the Hummingbirds to the point we use about a five pound bag of sugar every week just for them. They say animals are dumb? Then why am I doing all the work, feeding, cleaning after them, taking them to the vet? Molly hurt her eye somehow so we took her to the vet yesterday. I made an appointment for the morning and went to put her in the car, but she refused. She weighs eighty-eight pounds so I couldn’t lift her. I begged, pleaded, and gave her treats, but nothing was getting that dog into the car so I had to cancel the appointment and make one when David was here to get her in the car. So, guess what? Time for the appointment, she hopped right up into the car and David looked at me like I was crazy. Go to the vet, she acts like everyone there is her best friend wagging her tail all over the place. Even sat still while the vet put drops in her eye. Get her home, she doesn’t want to get out of the car. Crazy dog. But I love her.

I guess she knows who is boss.

Our garden has overflowed with cucumbers and tomatoes.

I would go out and pick them one day and the next…….

Bam! More. I can only eat so many so David has taken at least a half bushel to work with him and given them away.

This is my puny try at freezing some tomato juice. So much work. So little produced. Considering I don’t even use tomato juice very often, this is plenty for us. I have a friend who cans enough food for her and her husband to last all winter. I admire her and she puts me to shame, but I’m not ashamed enough to do what she does.

I have three little hills of cucumbers and they have produced enough for David to have all he wants and to take to work and give away. I am so glad those people like our produce. I hate to throw it away.

We have had two of the grandboys a couple of nights this Summer which isn’t much, but they and their parents have busy schedules.

So they had these toothbrushes that lit up when they used them, so we turned off the lights and they demonstrated them for me. It’s so easy to entertain Grandma.

We did manage to go to one auction. It rained the entire day so I spent most of it in the car knitting while David stood out in the rain and bought a few things. He got this for me. Five hours later.

A cute little Adirondack chair. As I sat in the car, they sold a boat right in front of me for $500. It was a really nice boat too.

I’ve knitted socks. Oh, yes I have.

David tried a new hairdo.

When we were getting our porch built a couple of years ago, one of the men working for our contractor brought me a flower since he saw I liked flowers. He told me I couldn’t kill it. Well, I watered in and kept it protected and watched it die down for the winter and it didn’t come up the next year. This year it didn’t come up either, at least for a long time. Then one day I saw some leaves where a bare spot use to be, and soon the plant was growing taller and taller, so David made a cage around it so the rabbits wouldn’t eat it. Now it is a beautiful big plant and I looked up what kind it is.

It’s called a Passion Flower and is so beautiful. They only bloom for one day, but there are several flowers on the plant.

We are going to see the Ark in Cincinnati this week. It’s an exact replica of the one described in the Bible. There is a zoo there also so I get to make my trip to the zoo. Thousands of people have already visited it and it just opened this Summer, on Dave’s and my anniversary.

Tomorrow I will start decorating the house for Fall. Before we know it, it will be election day, then Thanksgiving(hope I will be thankful who got elected) and then Christmas. Time is coming quickly. Did you know time comes. it doesn’t go? I learned that this year. You can’t stop it. It’s going to come so make the most of every day and give God the glory.

He’s provided some glorious sunsets this year.

Here’s to another Summer. Good-bye, Summer, you were really special. Bye

Simply Words

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No pictures today, folks, even though I have several on my camera. The past three weeks have been kind of fuzzy to me. After we took the Grandboys to the Children’s Museum, I got sick the day after and am really not feeling completely well yet. I coughed and hacked for two weeks until my head and my teeth hurt and only after David started coughing and hacking did I decide to make us appointments to see the doctor.

I really like our doctor, I just don’t want to see him anymore than I have to. He examined us both and put us on antibiotics steroids and inhalers. I don’t like inhalers at all. So we are finishing up these meds and I still have a cough and am blowing my nose. so there will probably be another doctor’s visit in my future. When I was growing up and got sick, the usual remedy was a shot of penicillin and that usually made me well. I don’t know what has happened to penicillin, but I am going to ask my doctor if he still uses it.

During these two week our tomatoes and cucumbers have gone wild. I have picked so many and given so many away and they still keep coming. I froze a little tomato juice. I use to can tomatoes, but I quit that a long time ago because it seemed all the work wasn’t worth the product. Plus, it’s always so hot when it’s time to can. Yes, I am lazy.

My sock pile is getting bigger, however. I have knitted and knitted when I felt poorly and some people are going to get several pairs of socks come Christmas. I love knitting socks now. I can almost do it with my eyes closed. I can’t wait to get more yarn. I have become a complete yarn addict. At least I feel like I am accomplishing something while I’m sitting here.

David and I are planning a train trip this year. Riding and sleeping on a train has been on my bucket list forever. We will get to sleep four nights on the train and I can’t wait. When we took the ferry to Alaska. I slept better than I ever had before. Last night I had a dream I was sleeping on a train and it rocked just like the ferry did. Alicia Paulsen on her blog, Posey Gets Cozy. just took the train trip we are going to take. The train goes though mountains and Glacier Park and though the west. Her pictures are amazing. The dining car looks just like I envision it with white table cloths on the tables, sitting by a window eating your meal while the scenery goes by. Looks like pure Heaven.

The grandchildren have all gone back to school. Whatever happened to Summer? June and July flew by. I blinked and it was August. Now August is half over already. I really don’t think children should have to start school until after Labor Day. I remember one year we got out of school on May 6th and didn’t return until after Labor Day. It was a long, lazy(well as lazy as you can get on a farm) and wonderful Summer. I would spend my days reading, playing with the animals on the farm, helping in the garden, helping my mother freeze corn. We did one hundred pints one Summer. I got to do a lot of day dreaming too. Do kids have time to day dream any longer? Day dreams are what inventions and literature and beautiful music come from. If you are constantly bombarded with noise from an Ipod or looking down at your cellphone all the time for the next text, you really don’t have time to day dream. A whole generation is losing out on the chance to just sit and day dream. We are hooked up to social networks and are less social. There has to be a middle ground somewhere, but when I go out and all I see are people sitting together with their eyes on their cellphones instead of connecting to others, It makes me kind of sad. People even think you are kind of odd if you aren’t carrying your cellphone around with you everywhere you go. It’s like life support for some people. And now the Pokeman phenomena is driving people nuts. Grownups racing around looking for an imaginary little creature. What has happened to grownups, anyway? Why do grownups now act like children? I’m not being judgmental, I am just curious. My parents would think the adults of today were acting very infantile. My parents came from the generation when you had to work hard just to live and raise your family. Family was the most important thing, too. They didn’t have time for playing very often. A family vacation was a real treat to be saved for and then you didn’t take another for a few years. Now people think they have to vacation all the time. My thoughts on vacations are they are fun, but they always make me glad when I get home. When I am on vacation, I am thinking of home and when I am home I am planning a vacation. I’ve gone on a lot of imaginary vacations in my mind. Some have come true. Others may never happen.

I am looking forward to cooler weather. We have had rain, heat and humidity for weeks now. I really feel sorry for the people in Louisiana. They are really having a hard time of it. Our town was flooded a few years ago, so I kind of know what they are going through. Just think of losing all you own, all of it underwater, the mud and dirt in your home. I pray for them that the rains will stop and they can start the clean up and get back to normal as quickly as possible.

Well, I have rambled on long enough. I think it is my fuzzy mind still clogged with the cold and it doesn’t help that yesterday, while running to answer the phone, I had something slippery on my feet and I did the splits running to the radio to turn it down and then I did the splits running to the telephone and laying on the floor, I finally got it answered and it was our internet company. Our internet had gone out again, the second time this Summer and I find I am lost without it, which makes me wonder about myself. Anyway. I got the phone answered, but today I have a badly sprained toe with bruises and my thighs hurt. But, we have our internet back and I get to ramble here on my blog. So all is good.

Hope you are having a better time than me. Bye.

Fun With the Grandboys

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We took three of our grandsons to the Children’s Museum in Indianapolis Friday. We started early in the morning by taking them out to Steak and Shake to eat since the food in the museum is so expensive. Then we drove clear to the top of the parking garage which was packed and parked our car. It’s been a few years since we took one of our grandsons to the museum and it had changed a lot.

Dinosaurs at the windows. Oh, my.

The Bat mobile was of special interest. The boys kept saying they wish they could drive it. Not sure that would be a good idea!

There was an exhibit of replicas of Chinese statues that were found some years ago. The real statues were life size and so were the replicas. They also had some you could put together as a puzzle. The boys enjoyed this exhibit. I could have stayed there a little longer and read more about them, but with three boys it’s go, go, go.

Someone had placed sun glasses on this one.

What I love about the museum is that it is truly kid friendly and children can climb on most of the exhibits. As you can see, our grandson thought this was fun.

Is there a resemblance here?

There was a Hot Wheels exhibit and cars to climb in.

Handsome lad. “Grandma,” he asked me. “Do you think I am handsome because I have red hair?” “I just think you are handsome,” I replied. All my grandsons are handsome, but I am not at all prejudiced. And I do love red hair.

Dressing up was part of the fun.

From race car driver to king in one day.

There was merry-go-round riding.

David got to be a kid again. I was taking pictures and then a woman tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was in line for the ride. I looked behind me and there was a long line of people. Oops. “Just watching.” I said.

More race cars to climb in.

There is a magnificent Chihuly chandelier hanging right in the middle of the museum. The last time we were here they were just putting it together.

Leftover pieces were put in the floor.

Me standing on Chihuly!

On the floor below this there was a rotating couch people could sit on and look up and see the beautiful colors.

Looking up at Chihuly.

This is what you saw from below. I was entranced by this.

An exhibit about Anne Frank where I would have liked to spend more time, but boys. Go, go, go. This picture of Anne was made up of hundreds of photos of people. Her story still saddens me.

There was a maze where, really, I was afraid I would never get out of. I kept the boys in my sight at all times. They knew where they were going.

There was an exhibit and show about the space capsule that Gus Grissom, the second man in space, flew in.. The capsule was lost at sea for thirty-eight years. Thankfully, they were able to save Mr. Grissom, but he later died in a fire in a space capsule. It was very interesting, and the fact I remember when this happened made it even more interesting to me. I was twelve years old at the time and space travel was new and exciting.

There was a train exhibit.

Pretending to buy and sell train tickets. David and I are going on a train trip this year. Can’t wait.

Okay, I hate my picture being taken, but David stalked me and got one that doesn’t make me look too horrible. I won’t delete this one, David. Ha. And who is that woman photo bombing me? And why do I look so contemplative?

So I took another picture of my sweetie. So, is this sign describing the bear or David? Hmmmmm.

The boys got all excited about Spiderman and tried to point him out to me. I could not see him and they kept saying, “There, Grandma!” Finally saw him and took his picture. There was so much more we saw and a lot we didn’t get to see. I would go back again.

It was a fun day. We stopped at the gift shop and let the boys buy some things and then the museum was closed and we left. When we got back to the car, there were very few cars in the parking garage and the upper deck was empty except for our car.

Driving to the restaurant to eat that afternoon we saw this.

It had been raining all day and the sun was coming out again.

A perfect ending to a perfect day. Hope the boys had as much fun as David and I did.

Here’s to Grandboys and museums. Bye.

Halcyon Days and Sock Love

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David and I celebrated our forty-eight wedding anniversary this past week. We decided to take a whole week from weekend to weekend to celebrate. It’s been a long week. We wanted to go antiquing, but most of the antique stores we went to were either closed or more like junk sales than antiques. We wanted to go to a Daylily farm and it rained cats and dogs on us. In fact, it rained almost the entire week. We did manage to get to Olive Garden for dinner which was very good. But it was still all good. When you have been married to the same man for almost your entire life, you don’t expect fireworks all the time, but we did do fireworks one night in our driveway with some old firecrackers and bottle rockets. There were people shooting off fireworks all around us. Some people don’t like this time of year because of all the fireworks, but I love it. We have had a lot of fireworks in our marriage. Some good. Some bad. As we looked back on our life together, we both feel it’s been a pretty good life. When I said, “I do,” I meant it and still do.

We did get to Streamcliff Farm again and had lunch with our older son and his friend. I managed not to buy any flowers this time, but I was tempted. I don’t know what they feed their plants, but all the flowers are huge.

We couldn’t get over how big these begonias were.

After lunch, we went back to the daylily farm, it wasn’t raining, and yes, I bought some daylilies.

It’s called New Creation Day Lilies and do they ever have a lot of daylilies. You picked the ones you wanted and they dug them for you right then.

The first day we went there, it was raining, as I said. This lady was out in a garden picking off the dead blooms. She had a bucket full.

This handsome fellow strutted around crowing and keeping his hens in a row.

There were several roosters and they were all crowing up a storm. I love hearing roosters crow. When we went to the Virgin Islands, chickens roamed all over and you could hear the roosters crowing. It was such a pleasant sound to me. It sounds like country.

The day lilies were gorgeous.

I brought one of these home with me. Along with four others.

We drove through storms during our drives.

We laugh because we have driven through so many storms in our lives and made it out alive to tell about it.

What’s life without a few storms along the way?

It wasn’t all play however. Our rhubarb just keeps on growing and we keep on picking it. I have made two batches of strawberry rhubarb jam.

The first batch was eaten up almost instantly. We had company and there was a teen-age boy who really, really liked this. We went through a couple of jars at that meal.

We have been trying to trap a groundhog that has made its home under our front porch. This is what we have caught thus far.

Several bunnies that we let loose back into the yard.

And this.

He/she was not a happy camper. Don’t know whether it’s a male or female and I’m not going to check.

His/her day was not going as planned. David took it over to the woods across the street from us. Hope it doesn’t find its way back.

Still haven’t caught a groundhog though.

But we do have a lot of these and this one is becoming a sort of pet. Coming to eat under our bird feeders every evening.

Peter Rabbit and Farmer MacGregor is no where to be seen. You’re safe with us, Peter.

Remember when I went to see Susan Branch at a book signing in Cincinnati? Her husband was handing out seeds from their wisteria vine that grows at their house. I planted the seeds and now I have two of these.

I am hoping they will grow and produce flowers one day.

Okay, I can’t get away without writing about socks. My fingers have been flying and socks have been coming off the needles in record speeds!

All different sizes. That little sock. That’s my daughter’s size. She has very tiny feet. In fact, her next pair I have to make a little bit smaller. She wears children’s socks. She certainly doesn’t take after me in that respect.

I peruse yarn webpages like I use to fabric pages. My quilting has been laid by the wayside for a time. I cannot stop knitting socks.

I keep buying yarn.

I really, really like these yarns I got the other day. All variegated and different shades of color.

I have knit one sock from this and I absolutely love it.

I’ve got me a lot of sock loving happening in my future. Yippee! I never thought I would ever get the hang of knitting socks, but now that I have, it’s really very simple. Of course, anything is once you know how to do it!

Speaking of gardens. My garden is not doing too shabby. These are some daylilies I have had for years and divided and planted all over the yard. I got the first ones at a grocery store.

I love my Summer garden. Every year it surprises me. When Winter gets here, I will think I will never see this again and then, it happens like a miracle every single year.

I wish my mother could see my garden. She loved her garden too. Perhaps she can see it, but then, she’s in the most beautiful garden imaginable as I type.

I will leave you with a picture of what I call the “Screaming Tree.” When the doctor’s house next door to us was torn down, they also took out deadwood out of an old tree and just left its carcass.

Every time we pass it I think it looks like it’s screaming. As if it cannot believe they tore down that beautiful, old house.

What do you think? Bye.

Freedom

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I’m sitting here this fourth of July weekend thinking about my country and where it is headed. I don’t like to talk politics on my blog, but today I am going to, so if you hate politics, you may not want to read today. I am very interested in politics and have always been proud to vote ever since I was able and have not missed a presidential election. I don’t intend to miss this one either.

If you live in the states or not, you know we are going to elect a new president this November. We have two contenders. One is a businessman who has never been involved in politics other than donating to various candidates through the years. He inherited money from his father which he turned into billions with his business acumen. Along the way there has been a few bankruptcies of which he’s admitted were due to poor decisions. It’s not as if he is the first person to ever go into bankruptcy, but you would think it by what his opponents have said. Anyway, he looks at politics as something that gets in the way of running a country and wants to bring back the good economy we have had in the past until the politicians started making deals against their very country. He also wants to protect our borders which have been left wide open for whomever wanted to come in. In the past, the United States has stopped immigration for a time until people became assimilated to our country and our culture. Learn the language and become American citizens. That doesn’t happen so much now. People come from other countries and want our country to change for them, not the other way around. We welcome immigrants with open arms when they come in legally and obey our laws and accept our culture.

The other candidate has been in politics almost her entire adult life. Marrying a man who became senator from Arkansas and then became president of the United States. He had his troubles in office and she did many devious things like having people’s tax returns in her possession. Together, they helped run up the deficit, supported NAFTA and sent the country into turmoil with his behavior toward an intern and other women. She ran a “bimbo eruption” action to stop any women from being heard or saying they were all lying. She tried to write a healthcare bill that failed miserably in congress because she wanted to put people and doctors in jail for not following its edicts. A book is now out about her telling how she treated underlings and others she thought were beneath her. She has been under investigation for months about E-mails on her private server that should have not been there since they were government E-mails. Now some countries have those E-mails to use as blackmail should she become president.

Neither candidate has high likeability polls. But one is more widely known than the other.

I picked my candidate long ago and intend to help him as much as I can to get into office.

The other thing I wanted to talk about was Brexit. When England left the EU, I cheered. I find it strange that people are against a country having borders and its own laws and it own leaders. With the EU, many European countries were taking orders from bureaucrats in Brussels, Belgium, far away from the people they were ordering. No representation. No ability to vote the bureaucrats out. I found that rather odd and disturbing. It would be like someone in Venezuela making laws for we the people in the United States. Most of us would not like that one bit. I am heartily hopeful that other European countries under the thumb of the EU will get out also. Many do not know that the EU was thought up originally by Adolph Hitler. He planned for one central government(Germany) to be over the states(other European countries.) All the countries were to take orders from the government(Germany). I find it astounding that so many European countries bought the EU idea after fighting a war to be free from an overbearing government. Many of the young people who have grown up under the EU don’t know what real freedom is. Maybe now they will learn and find it was a wonderful thing those who voted for Brexit did.

There is something about people inside them that yearns to be free. Free from overbearing, over regulating governments who stop our pursuit of happiness. This November, we will vote for a candidate who wants to cut the chains of an oppressive government and the other candidate who wants to be more repressive. One believes our rights come from God and are mentioned in the Constitution. The other wants to take away our guns. A right clearly mentioned in our Constitution. We the people have a very clear choice. I pray we make the right one.

I hope all my fellow citizens of the United States have a wonderful holiday. While you are at it, say a prayer for our country and our next president. Bye.

Spa Day and Father’s Day

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I did something unusual for me. I got up at six o’clock, something I very rarely do nowadays. I have become a lay-a-bed in the past year or so because I have been staying up late at night. Last night I sat outside and watched the lightening bugs flit around in my garden. It was magical. They would light up all at once and then there would be a short period when few were lit up and then they would light up again.

Anyway, I jumped out of bed this morning, ready to go, got dressed and out the door to do some chores before it got too hot. David was still asleep. He is almost always up before me. I was thinking he was supposed to be at work at five, but his employer changes his hours often, so I just thought he was going in later. I weeded a flower bed and spread some mulch. I watered the flowers. I took out an unwanted bush that had grown up on the fence. I trimmed down a small tree that had popped up in one of my flower beds. Then I went inside and it was seven o’clock and I thought if David was going in later, he should be up by now so I went upstairs and he was still asleep. I really hated to wake him, but I was wondering when he was suppose to go into work.

“You didn’t have to go in at five this morning?” I asked him as he opened his eyes. “No, I go in at ten,” he replied. “That’s your Saturday hours,” I told him. “It’s not Saturday?!” he asked and jumped out of bed. He was dressed and out the door in fifteen minutes. As soon as he left the phone rang. It was his manager wanting to know if something had happened to him. I told her what had happened and that he was on his way. I think this is only about the second time David has ever been late for work. He prides himself on arriving early. This will bother him for days. He was also hoping they would keep him for two hours longer to make up for the two hours he missed this morning. Yes, he has a very strong work ethic.

After he left for work, I went out and cleaned out the chicken house, spread some new bedding, raked their yard and fed and watered the chooks.

Then I decided I would do something else I have not done in years. I took a spa day for myself. Not a go to a spa and get myself pampered. My spa day was a long soak in the tub, washing my hair and reading all morning. I very rarely get time to read during the day. I do most of my reading in bed at night. So this was a treat for me today. I am reading a very interesting book by Vernon Coleman. He has become one of my favorite authors. He not only writes fiction, but he writes about the medical profession, politics and the EU, which he hates. He was a general practitioner in England until he retired to write. I didn’t know if a doctor retires in England, he loses his license to practice medicine ever again. Is it that way here in the United States? Sounds like a horrible idea to me, but it’s one of the EU’s laws. Anyway, I read one of his books all morning and enjoyed myself immensely. Maybe I need to do this more often. When I was a girl, I would read all day sometimes swinging on the porch swing. Now that I’m retired(if a homemaker can ever really be retired) I should find more time to read.

I got this book and DVD in the mail today.

At the Creation Museum near Cincinnati, Ohio, they have built an exact replica of the ark as described in the Bible. It’s longer than a football field and four stories high. I sent some money to help it get built and received these for donating. Very interesting. It opens on our wedding anniversary, but I think we will wait a while to go see it until the newness wears off it, because the crowds to see it will probably be enormous for the first few months.

This Sunday is Father’s Day. I lost my daddy decades ago, but I still think of him every day and miss him. I know he’s in heaven, probably building something or taking care of animals. My daddy taught me a strong work ethic. Because of him, I am not afraid to work. In fact, I love to work. He was a farmer and a factory worker. He raised six children with my mother and I think all of us turned out pretty good. He saw some tragedies in his life that would have broken weaker men. He was a Christian. He got saved later in life and I remember when it happened. Now my father was always a kind and good man, but he could swear with the best of them, especially if he hit his finger with a hammer or some such accident and he smoked cigarettes continually. The day he was saved, all swearing disappeared, the cigarettes were tossed and he started going to church every week and became very active in the church. Before that, he only attended once in a while. I kept waiting to hear him swear, but I never heard him say a swear word for the rest of his life. He took his salvation seriously, as we all should do and lived it until the day he died.

My father showed no favoritism to any of his children. I loved being out with him when he was working especially when he was in the milking parlor where he taught me how to milk cows by hand. Later he got milking machines. He showed me how to squirt milk into a barn cat’s mouth from several feet away. We kids always loved it when he took some time out from his always busy days to play basketball with my brothers in the haymow. Daddy didn’t have a lot of time in his days. He was always working. Later in his life he slowed down a little and he would come in, lay down on the floor and take a short nap. Then it would be up and out and working again. He was the love of my mother’s life and when he died, she lost her best friend, lover and constant companion. She was never truly happy after that and I understand her completely.

I received some books of my mother’s a while back and in one of the books that was like a high school annual, my daddy wrote my mother a poem. From the words, it appeared they weren’t dating yet and daddy was trying to get my mother to like him. Later they would date and elope and were married for over fifty years.

My daddy was a very handsome man. He had very blue eyes. I remember once when I was about five years old, I did something naughty and all daddy had to do was cock an eyebrow and look at me sternly and it would crush me. I only got one spanking from my daddy in my life and it was when I was grown and old enough to know better. I said something very disrespectful to my mother and my daddy whipped around, threw me over his lap and gave me a few whacks on the bottom. I was more embarrassed than hurt, but daddy was not going to stand by and hear his wife talked to in that manner. Now that I look back, I sure deserved that spanking and I have never held it against my daddy. In fact, I rather admire him for sticking up for his wife, which every man should do.

One of my grandsons reminds me so much of my father. I tell him that all the time. Daddy had delicate features, but was one of the toughest and strongest men I know. He wasn’t a big man either, but was tall in stature in my eyes.

Happy Father’s Day, daddy. I know you are watching over me and I will see you again one day. Say hi and give my love to mother, too. Bye.

This is Retirement?

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I don’t think David and I thought very much about retirement when we were younger. We were just trying to make a living and raise our three children and keep food on the table. I always heard that retirement was the time when one could kick back and relax. Do some traveling. People picture Grandmas and Grandpas sitting on the porch, Grandma with knitting in her hands. Well, a little of that happens around here, but we evidently didn’t get the message about how to behave when retired.

It seems we are busier than ever. Work just as hard and the days go by much, much more quickly. Here it is, June already. Where did May go? I spend most of my days outside in the garden or taking care of the chickens and playing with the dogs. Between laundry, cooking, cleaning, and other household chores, I keep pretty busy. I don’t know how our ancestors did it without all the labor saving devices we have now. My great-great-great grandmother had to heat the water for the laundry, wash everything on a washboard, hang the clothes outside, weather permitting, iron all the clothes and by the time she was done with that, it was time to start all over. She did this while raising a garden, canning enough food to get the family through the winter, cooking every single meal, and raising a family. Whew. I get tired just thinking about it. I can stick a load of clothes in the washer, go outside, and when I come in, the clothes are washed. It almost seems like a miracle to me. But I see miracles in a lot of things. Not all that long ago if you had leftovers, you had to get out pans and heat them on the stove and then you would have all the pans to wash afterward. Now, with the microwave, we can fill up a plate with leftovers, heat it for a few minutes and have a good, hot meal, almost as good as the original you cooked before. Miracle.

But I got off subject. I do that all the time. Here are a few things that we have been doing the last few weeks.

We celebrated Memorial Day, a day to remember our fallen soldiers and also to remember loved ones who have died. David’s grandmother always called it Decoration Day because it was the day she always took flowers and decorated the graves of family members.

I fix a pot of grass for the chickens every once in a while. They need their greens, too.

“What are you looking at? Can’t we eat without being disturbed?”

I’ve become a sock model.

Why do I always have a bruise on my shins?

See that pie safe in the background? I took that step ladder there and climbed up to see if it needed dusting on top. Well, since I haven’t dusted up there in years, I found a dust storm up there. I was a little amazed, thinking I kept a pretty clean house and there was such a dusty place almost right over my nose. I took everything off it, washed what I could to include several American flags I had in a can. I scrubbed the top three times until I felt like it was clean enough. Now it’s good for another ten years! I reckon if I looked hard enough, I could find several dusty places in my house, but I’m not going to look too hard. The thing about dust. It will always be there. It won’t go away on its own. I read one time that we could have the dust from the first Adam’s body in our dust bunnies under our beds because dust travels all over the world. Maybe I have Moses under my bed or maybe Christopher Columbus. If so, they will be quite safe there as I don’t like to dust all that much unless I really feel like it.

We had sixteen people here for dinner the other day and the kids all played in the pool. I love having lots of kids in the pool. They had so much fun. Besides that, they stir up all the stuff on the bottom of the pool and that actually helps to clean it. And the water definitely was stirred.

David and I have eaten at a couple of different restaurants lately. One was called Stone’s Family Restaurant in Mihousen. The food was so-so, but it was worth the trip to eat the fried biscuits and apple butter. We could have made a meal out of those. The restaurant is in this little off the beaten path town time has forgot. We drove several back roads to get there and the scenery was so pretty. I don’t think any place is prettier than Indiana in Summer.

The other one was in the little town of Vernon. Vernon hosts a town wide garage sale every Labor Day weekend. There are yard sales all the way along the highway to Vernon. We went one year and there was just about everything for sale, plus there were vendors selling their wares. We have eaten at this restaurant before. Really good food.

We missed the Karaoke.

This is what it looks like on the outside. Nothing special, but I don’t think I have ever had as good fish as I did there. It was done to perfection. Not greasy and not fishy tasting.

We ate there on the way back from this place. Streamcliff Farm. A nursery, winery that was having a flower sale. I was not going to buy anymore flowers this year. But…..

Of course, I did. You took a little red wagon through the greenhouses to pick up your plants.

I bought several perennials and a rhubarb plant. By the way, our rhubarb has done wonderfully this year. I have several packages of it frozen so that in the middle of the winter, we can have rhubarb pie and think of Spring.

The plants sold here are so healthy and big. I don’t know what kind of fertilizer they use, but the plants sure do flourish.

There are little gardens everywhere. I wonder what it is like to wake up every morning and know all this is yours and you can walk through it anytime?

Fish in the fishpond. Everyone needs a garden they can escape to whether it’s on several acres or on the rooftop of a city building.

There was a man there playing and singing Johnny Cash songs and he sounded just like him!

Man in black. I love Johnny Cash songs. He was a great song writer and singer.

This is what I have been doing today. David is replacing the fence boards along one side of our back yard so I decided to stain them. There will be hundreds. Today I stained forty some. He went and bought some more and some more stain, so guess what I will be doing tomorrow.

David put up the original fence about twenty-five years ago. It’s held up pretty well, but it’s time to be replaced.

Just so they won’t think I have forgotten them, here’s the puppers. Always watching for me to come out. Playmate, come out and play with me, and bring your dollies three, climb up the apple tree. Look down the rain barrel, slide down the cellar door. And we’ll be jolly friends, forevermore. My mother use to sing that song to me.

Molly looks like she has a big cigar in her mouth.

Hope you are having a wonderful Summer(or Winter in some parts of our world.) Soon the longest day will come and the days will start to shorten again. It never changes. Bye.

My New Obsession

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I love making things. Mostly sewn things. It was my goal years ago to have at least one hundred quilts before I died. Well, with having a quilt shop and making so many display projects, with family loving quilts too, and with going to auctions for years, I finally accrued, created and found at least one hundred quilts. I don’t own all of them. Many of them have been sold or given as gifts. All my grandchildren have at least two quilts I made especially for them. I have made quilts for charities, for church projects and for Samaritan’s purse. I wish I could see all the quilts I have made in one big pile. I have quilts for every season. Quilts are on every bed, on both couches, on every chair and hanging on walls. I have a big box of unfinished quilts in my shop. I have one quilt on my sewing machine in the process of being quilted.

But……..a new obsession has taken over my life. At the beginning of the year I read Lucy’s blog, Attic 24, where she was learning how to knit socks. She made it sound so appealing, I immediately ordered the Minwick Mum’s Sockalong book that took you step by step through the sock knitting process. At first, it was all Greek to me. I read it over and over. Tried knitting socks. Tore more socks out than I care to mention. Learned that tearing out your knitting stitches was called “frogging.” Dropped stitch after stitch. Knitted more ribbing and sock legs. Learned how much fun knitting the heel flap is. Found out turning the heel was easier than I ever could have imagined, picked up stitches even when I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing. Knit the gusset and finally decreased the toes. Decreasing the toes is when everything usually fell apart because the book said I had to use double pointed needled to do it. Then, the other day I just went ahead and decreased the toe stitches on my little circular needle. No dropped stitches and easy as can be. I can’t tell you how many times I would get to the toes, dropped three or four stitches and tear out the whole sock. But, I didn’t give up and have finally found what works for me.

Now, my quilt is still sitting on the sewing machine waiting to be completed. I hardly look at my fabric even though I have a purse needing to be finished and material for a skirt. Now I surf the web looking for yarn companies and drool over yarn like I would drool over fabric. I have several circular needles, sock blockers, and other knitting paraphernalia. I have looked up my old knitting books from the seventies when I knitted sweaters, booties and hats for my children. I have baby things on my mind. I even ordered yarn for a baby project. And there are no babies ahead in my family. At least I don’t think so.

I have finished two pair of socks and have two more pair almost done. Today I ordered more yarn. For four more pair! I think this obsession is going to stay with me for a time. David has had to listen to me when I could not get it into my head how to knit socks. He kept encouraging me and said I would figure it all out and he was right. One day it all just clicked. The fear was gone. Now the socks glide off my needles with ease. Oh, I still drop the occasional stitch, but with a small crochet hook, I usually can pick it up. I wish I could explain to you how euphoric I feel that I finally figured it all out. It was like a dark cloud of doubt that was hanging over my head just went “poof” one day. The lesson I took from this is “never give up.” And I didn’t. Despite several attempts that went all wrong, I now know how to knit socks. Now I am looking at fancier socks like ones with cables or other designs. I’m hoping I can knit socks for gifts.

I guess I owe Lucy and Minwick Mum a huge thank you for turning me on to sock knitting.

I am sure you are tired of reading about my sock obsession. David says when I decide to do something, I jump in feet first and start swimming and don’t stop. When I start making things, like purses, quilts or dolls, I never stop at one. I make a dozen or more. Now I probably won’t stop knitting socks. EVER. I love the process and the finished product. But, enough about socks, although I could talk about them all day!

We have been doing some things other than me sock knitting and David helping me wind the yarn. I am trying to start my walking regimen again. I was up to walking five miles a day a year or so ago and then I hurt my right leg and then by the time it was feeling better, I tore a ligament in my left leg that has taken months to repair. I just noticed the other day my leg didn’t feel stiff any longer and I wasn’t walking with a limp. Molly is bound and determined to run into that leg every time I go out in the yard with her. She loves to play and takes it that I want to play with her every time I go out the back door. Many times I will play with her, but when I don’t, she follows me as close as she can and then she and Belle get into a tussle right behind me and sometimes slam into my legs. I’ve taken to carrying a rake and holding it behind me so they won’t hit me. I really don’t want to have a sore leg all summer.

Last Christmas my older son gave me a cute bench.

A painted Santa face peeking out.

A kind of creep Santa peeking out!

With bird house posts on either side.

With birds painted on each post.

Snowmen on the armrests.

Even Santa’s belt painted on.

Well, it’s almost Summer now and it still sits on our porch. I tried covering it with a quilt, but it kept getting blown off. Every time I passed it, Santa was looking at me and creeping me out. David and I could not lift it because it was made from really heavy wood. I had no place to store it anyway, so…………

I probably did the unthinkable to some people, but I feel very happy with my new little bench.

I painted it.

Now, it’s suitable for year round and I can decorate it at Christmas with tiny lights and a wreath, so I am happy with it. And we don’t have to move it. It also provides a nice place for the UPS man or the FedX man to leave packages out of the weather and off the floor. So it’s a win-win for me.

I don’t get up very early any more. For the first decades of our marriage we had to get up for work or to get the kids up for school. The alarm rang at 5:30 most mornings. Lately, I have been sleeping until 9:00 or later. One day David worked until 11:00 a.m. and when he came home, I was still asleep. You see, I love staying up late, but I really love the early morning so one of them had to go. Today, I woke up at 4:30, laid awake and said my prayers until 5:30 and decided to get up. It’s amazing how many things you can get done before 8:00 if you get up early. I did a load of wash, did all my ironing and knitted half a sock. This getting up early seems to be a good thing. Now I have the whole day to do other things.

When one gets up early, they get to see the sunrise. I sat out on our front porch and watched the sun come up.

I have been missing some beautiful sunrises. The hummingbirds were out feeding and the birds were waking up. It was glorious. Still don’t know if I will give up my late nights. I love to knit and read in the evenings and the time just gets away from me.

I will leave you with some pictures of the late May garden. It’s peony time and I am loving it.

And last but not least. Two years ago when our new porch was being built, I saved some of the concrete pieces from it and planted flowers in them. I had this one plant I didn’t know what it was and it stayed green all Summer and all Winter. But it never bloomed. I watched it all last Summer and it didn’t do anything. Just some green leaves. This Spring I looked at it and thought to myself if it didn’t produce anything this year, I was going to tear it out. Well, I am so glad I was patient with it because it is now my header picture.

It’s phlox and I really do not remember planting this. There are two different ones and they are so vibrant and pretty.

Here’s to sock knitting, early mornings and the patience to wait for a flower to bloom. Bye.

Flower Child

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I was a flower child long before it became popular. Not the kind of flower child who did drugs or danced naked in the fields at Woodstock. My mother grew beautiful flowers in her garden and every year I helped her gather the seeds for next year’s flowers. She also loved African violets and my father made her a little window greenhouse in the kitchen where she grew some of the most beautiful African violets. She could have won prizes for her flowers, but she grew them just because she loved them.

In the Summer my daddy would put me in the car with a few buckets and a shovel and we would drive down to the river where daddy would dig up sand and put it in the buckets to take back home to put in my sand pile. While he was doing that, I was pulling up flowers(weeds) to take home and plant in my sand pile. They didn’t last long, of course, but for a short time I had my very own garden. I was always looking at the flower catalogs Mother would get. I would go with her to the greenhouse where she purchased flowers for her porch boxes. The man who owned the greenhouse knew my mother by name as she was a regular customer and came back every year. I loved walking down the rows of flowers and choosing the ones I liked in my mind. My Mother would buy a flat of flowers and bring them home and plant her porch boxes. I can’t remember a time she didn’t have porch boxes planted when I lived at home.

Now I have gardens of my own and can plant whatever I want. I still love going to a greenhouse and looking at all the flowers. I love the smell inside a greenhouse. The smell of fresh dirt and flowers is the best scent in the world. Wish they could make a perfume of it. I probably already smell like that about every day in the Spring when I am outdoors planting and digging and dividing the flower clumps. Today I finally got everything planted, I think, although I did see a corner in my kitchen garden that has only one flower planted there. We cut down a redbud tree last year and I haven’t filled in the space yet, evidently. Time to buy more flowers!

So, come into my garden and see just a few of the flowers that are growing there.

Irises! One of my favorite flowers because you can’t kill them and they multiply year after year without you doing anything at all. I told a friend of mine I even mowed my irises down in the Autumn and she thought I was crazy. But, I do, and every year, they come up bigger and better than ever.

One of my favorites. One day a couple of years ago, a man stopped by our house and asked if he could have a start of these irises, so I dug up one for him and asked him if he had any flowers he would like to share. He did! He brought me some lilac bushes and I planted them and one of them is doing well.

These are becoming one of my favorite flowers now. Digitalis or Foxgloves. They reseed themselves and are biennials so I should have some every year. I have planted their seed everywhere and bought more plants, too. You see, I am making my garden self sustaining so that one day, when or if I cannot plant or work in it anymore, the flowers will take care of themselves.

One of David’s mother’s rosebushes. It is doing so well now. For a while, I thought I had killed it, but with loving care, it has come back and has a lot of blooms. The roses smell just like roses should smell. I have two of these bushes. I feel so blessed. Another reason I can never leave this house. I have too many flowers from family members that grow all around my garden. I think of those people every year when the flowers bloom. Flowers like David’s grandmother’s sixty year old clematis, her snowball bushes, my mother’s day lilies and these roses. It’s a family garden for sure.

These poppies were started from Grandma Henley’s( David’s grandma) garden. She had a beautiful garden behind her house and these grew profusely. I remember her squatting in her garden, her knees up to her ears, weeding the flowers until she was almost ninety years old. She also grew the best rhubarb behind her outhouse!

I planted two new Asiatic lilies. I have ordered more Irises and peonies to be planted in the Autumn. Nope, can’t have enough flowers.

Speaking of peonies, they are starting to bloom now. They are my very favorite flower. They are beautiful and smell wonderful. The only thing is, they just don’t last long enough.

I have them in red, white, pink and pink and white.

Flowers are not the only things that have been on my mind. You remember my sock journey?

I have become obsessed with sock knitting now that I kind of understand the process. I still don’t like the double pointed needles at the end when decreasing the toe. That is when everything goes all wrong all at once if I don’t pay special care or I get interrupted. Which is why I only try to knit them when David is at work. I am trying to figure out another way to decrease the toes. Every sock has been an experiment in knitting.

I do have a finished pair now. My grey socks.

I got a little carried away with the second sock and it’s a tad longer than the first one, but no one will notice when I have them on as they are slouchy and loose. Made out of wool and acrylic, they will be warm to wear next Winter.

I have purchased several circular needles so that I could have different socks going at all times. I just ordered more needles and sock blockers. This hobby is becoming expensive! Now, I drool over yarn like I have drooled over fabric for years. There are so many yarn companies and so many beautiful yarns to choose from.

I really love this yarn. It isn’t exactly a stripe, but there are variegated partial stripes throughout the sock.

Ready for the dreaded toe decrease on another sock.

This winter I plan to have a lot of different socks to wear and I am going to try to knit socks for family members if I can figure out how to make them smaller and larger.

It isn’t true that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks because I am living proof you can. I never thought in a million years I could learn to knit socks, but I persevered and finally accomplished it.

I hadn’t been in my shop for weeks because of the sock making, but today I went out and started a new purse. I wish I could tell you where I got this pattern. I got it online and I have made so many purses from this pattern. Several people carry my purses. I call this one my garden purse.

I have this fabric that has country words on it, so I cut out some of the words and sewed it on my purse.

I’m really loving making this purse. I’ve done some embroidery on it and will soon have it completed. Just give me an afternoon.

Hope you are enjoying these wonderful May days. They are going by so quickly. I wish I could wrap one day up and take it out in the middle of the Winter and enjoy it once again.

Here’s to flower children and those who love them. Bye.

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Snicklefritz

So glad you came. Come sit a spell and read about the tale of my life.

Note To Self

What’s Going On

Simply Words

Fun With the Grandboys

Halcyon Days and Sock Love

Freedom

Spa Day and Father’s Day

This is Retirement?

My New Obsession

Flower Child