Back to Cincinnati

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I love driving to Cincinnati. Especially when we take the river road along the Ohio River. We did that over a week ago, but because of things happening in the world, I didn’t feel like writing about it. We took off on a Saturday and headed down the road.

Following the river most of the way. There is something about a river that makes me feel wanderlust. I think of all those who have traveled this river throughout the years or lived by this river, building little towns and living their lives as the river swept by. There is so much history along this river. David and I have driven most of it and several times, at that. It never fails to lift my spirits.

The sky was so blue that day and the river so calm, but this river has flooded many times through the centuries, flooding those little towns and creating havoc to their citizens. Still, people continue to settle along it, camp beside it and watch as it lazily flows along. It’s mesmerizing.

We passed through one little town where I saw some ladies decorating the city park. And along the road hung on electric poles were these………

Scarecrows. I don’t know if they were having a contest, but there were several of these all along the roadway. Made me want to go home and make my own scarecrow.

I think it might have had something to do with breast cancer awareness because of this sign I saw.

We spent the night in Cincinnati and went to supper with our older son and his girlfriend. We went to The Outback to eat and they had the slowest service. We finally got our names on a list and waited and waited. They didn’t look all that busy. Then three more people came in the door and the waitress started to sit them immediately and David spoke up and asked why they were being seated. The waitress mumbled something about the waitress wasn’t ready for our table. Humbug! Our son said, “Let’s go,” and we went across the street to a restaurant called Mimi’s Café and were seated immediately and I had the best liver and onions I have ever eaten. So, good things happen to those who wait! It was a pleasant evening, but we were going to King’s Island the next day so we headed to our motel for the night.

The next morning we met up with our daughter and her family.

The boys were excited because we were going to King’s Island.

Now King’s Island is for the person who likes to ride scary rides. I am not that person. The last two times I was talked into riding certain rides, I cried. So I knew no one would be talking me into riding any roller coasters or rides that went up high that day. I loved watching my family ride the rides. I rode a couple, but I really enjoy people watching and just being with family. It was such a fun day. We went to the arcade and there is where I had the most fun playing Ski-ball. I could play that all day. I helped our son win a card he had been trying to win for some time. You see, our son goes to King’s Island almost every single day whether it’s before work or after work, just to ride maybe one ride. He’s a big kid at heart. He plays those arcade games and saves the points. He has enough to get a computer now. He could have probably bought one a whole lot cheaper, but he loves playing those games. I do too. It must be in the blood. David and I, when we were dating, use to love playing the arcade games at the fair. Tossing rings to win cheap dishes. I once spent fifty dollars playing ski-ball at King’s Island to win a set of juice glasses! They were the cheapest glasses I have ever had and they all got broken very quickly. Needless to say, we don’t go to King’s Island all that often. Can’t afford their dishes!

It was a fun day and I am sure I got my 10,000 and more steps in as my feet were hurting so badly by the time we got to the car. We drove home at dusk as the sky was showing off it’s beautiful colors.

Where we live there are tall trees so I cannot see the sunset like this at night. It was so beautiful. Then I saw it.

A UFO. Or at least it looked like one to me. And then I saw this.

Remember in the first Ghost Busters where that dog chased that little guy from his apartment and down the street? This made me think of that dog.

It was good to get home and back in our own bed.

The past couple of weeks I have been working on quilts.

I pinned this quilt ready for quilting. I can’t decide if I want to machine quilt it or quilt it by hand. It’s got hundreds of safety pins in it and my fingers can attest to it. I am quilting one by hand right now that I want to get done. Can’t show it as it is for someone special.

Not sure what this pattern is called. I pieced it years ago. I am going through all my unfinished quilts and trying to get them done.

And yet, I keep buying fabric to make more.

I bought this fat quarter assemble to make a pumpkin quilt.

I pre-wash all my fabric and here I hung these on a little line I have strung across my shop porch. I love hanging things out on a line. Didn’t take them long to dry. I will show you some of the blocks I have made soon. I was working on my pumpkin quilt today.

This glorious fabric will be the backing. I had to order five yards of it just because I loved it so much. I will use this in several things, I am sure.

This fabric I bought on Haight Ashbury in San Francisco years ago when we visited our son who was stationed in California with the Air Force learning to speak Russian to be a Russian linguist. That was many years ago. I don’t know why the fabric looks stained in this picture because it isn’t. There was a wonderful quilt shop there with some very exotic fabrics.

This yellow fabric was bought for me by my son and his ex-wife when they visited England years ago. They asked me what I wanted them to bring me back from England and I said, “Fabric.” I have used this in several quilts.

We got this postcard in the mail a few weeks ago telling us about Grandparents’ Day at our grandchildren’s school. I was looking at it and saw someone familiar on it.

David and me and two of our grandkids!. I must say it was kind of disconcerting to see our faces on there. I always wondered through the years how they picked the pictures for these things. We are visiting their school this week. They treat us grandparents great. I am really looking forward to it.

Here’s to river rides, fun times with family and quilting. Bye.

Joy and Sorrow

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People can experience both joy and sorrow in a span of a day. We saw this on display on our television sets this week. Neil Cavuto on the FOX network gave a moving report called “One Week Ago Today,” yesterday where he talked about how all the people who went to the concert in Las Vegas were preparing for it one week ago with excitement and happiness. At the same time a man was plotting how best to get the perfect site from which to shoot his guns at people to kill them. I think there was more than one shooter, but that’s another story. One week ago today 59 people were alive and were with their friends and loved ones. One week ago today, a very evil person was planning something horrific. He was ordering room service, setting up his weapons, getting ready while thousands of people were just planning on having a fun weekend. One week ago.

That is how quickly joy can turn to sorrow. I have experienced both emotions in the span of a day. Complete joy and then shattering sorrow. I write this because none of us are promised tomorrow. None of us know when we leave our home whether we will come back. None of us know if the ones we love we see today, might not be with us in a blink of an eye. That is how tenuous our lives are. Why we waste a second on anger and hatred is something I cannot explain. We should love one another, give our loved ones a hug when we see them. Call them on the phone and tell them you love them. Life is way too short. I feel so sorry for those who lost friends and loved ones last weekend. On Cavuto’s show he ran all the pictures of the people who were murdered and I stood there at my ironing board, tears running down my cheeks watching those lovely faces scroll by. Some so young. Some with children. Somebody’s mother, father, sister, brother, aunt, uncle or other relationship. None of them deserved what happened to them. I pray they are all in heaven today. I don’t know why God allows things like this to happen. I do know He doesn’t cause them. Evil does. Evil hearts that have no love for others. And yet, we must pray for those who despitefully use us. I can’t explain that one.

So, I am praying that nothing else bad happens for a long, long time. Our country has been hit with a lot of bad things lately. So have other countries, but I have to deal with mine. I want this blog to be full of happiness and joy, but I cannot ignore when my fellow citizens are hurting. I have some fun things to write about, but for now, I pray we can all come together and unite as a nation and rid ourselves of all the hate that is happening all around us. Blessings to you all and may God keep you in His hands. Bye.

At Last, Fall

Comfort and Peace

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Every day when I sit down to eat, I thank God for my food, but I also thank Him for the chair upon which I sit, the roof over my head, the husband sitting beside me and all He has provided.

When I lay my head on my pillow at night, I thank God for that pillow, the bed in which I am sleeping, that all is peaceful in my world right now, the husband beside me and all He has provided. That right now my family is doing well and we have our health.

I have been thinking a lot lately about all I have to be thankful for as I watch the news every day. So many people don’t have the luxuries I have. And yes, I call the comforts of home luxuries. Today in Texas, Louisiana, Montana, Oregon, Washington and California many people don’t have their beds to sleep in tonight or at least, not their own beds. Many have lost everything. Some have lost loved ones. Some have lost the pets they love. I can’t imagine losing a family member or one of my pets in a flood or a fire. I can’t imagine having to start all over again. I realize that the United States is not the only country where people are suffering. I just can’t wrap my brain around all the suffering that is going on around our world today so I am focusing on our problems right now.

So, I pray and ask God to make things better for people. That His comfort will sustain them as they try to rebuild their lives. That they won’t lose faith in Him, because He is there in the people who are rescuing them, feeding them, providing shelter for them and trying to help the best way they can. I sent some money to Samaritan’s Purse. I know it was a drop in the bucket at what they need, but if thousands of us send some money, there would be lots of buckets full to help people in need.

To all those who are suffering right now I say, you are not alone. We the people are thinking of you and want to help. My prayers go out to all of you and I pray your lives will get back to normal as quickly as possible.

And on this day when we Americans are remembering one of the worst tragedies to ever happen on our soil on September 11, 2001, I pray for our country and it’s safety and peace.

To all who join me in prayer I say thank you. Bye.

10,000 Steps

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Back in about 2012 I think it was, I read an article that read if people would walk 10,000 steps every day, they would be healthier. 10,000 steps is about five miles give or take a few feet. I decided I was going to try it. I began by walking a mile or so every day. I had the same route I’d take every day, over the railroad track and around the back road where there was a rock quarry. There were always a lot of trucks I had to dodge, but I would take this route every day. Then I started to branch out, walking around our block two or three times, it being a little over a mile around our block. Then I started walking all over. Living where we do, there is a lot of traffic and not a whole lot of walking spaces. No sidewalks. I would find lonely roads to walk. People began to notice me and talk to me Then they began to notice I was losing weight. When I finally hit 10,000 steps I celebrated. After that I walked five miles pretty much every day. Rain or shine. Even in the snow. I did not walk when it was icy out, but I walked inside.

I really did not do this to lose weight. I never weigh myself. NEVER. I went that route for years obsessing about my weight and finally decided I would rather be healthy than skinny. But, the weight began to fall off me. I was still eating well, but it seemed like every day I would lose a pant size. I think some people thought there was something wrong with me, but I was perfectly healthy. My doctor, at one of my regular visits, told me how much I had lost and I didn’t believe him. I knew my clothes were loser, but still I never weighed myself and I never look at how much I weigh in the doctor’s office. I was rather shocked. Even more so that I had that much to lose. I told him I was not on a diet, I just walked. He said to keep it up.

The year we went to Alaska, David would stop at rest stops and parks and I would walk a mile or two before we drove on. I counted my steps diligently. When we rode the ferry up to Alaska, I walked the deck over and over. One day it was pouring rain and only me and one other woman were out walking the deck. I was obsessed with getting my 10,000 steps in.

Then about three years ago, I hurt my right leg. Pulled a muscle or tendon or something and I was in great pain. It was hard for me to even walk three miles, let alone five. I was just getting back to normal when in Fredericksburg, Texas, David and I walked up this small mountain and I tore something in the back of my left leg that hurt so badly, I just fell down where I was. From then on, I was afraid to walk much because it hurt too much. Then that began to heal and I was getting cocky about myself and was coming down the stairs pretty fast and got the most excruciating pain in my left leg again. I became careful about going up and down stairs. I walked very little. Then, this Summer, I thought I was having heart trouble and could barely walk around in my yard without getting winded. I had many tests done and my heart was fine. Just needed my medication adjusted. The cardiologist told me to walk. Soooooo. I am slowly starting to walk again. I am doing it in my house. I set the timer on the stove for twenty minutes and just walk. Today I managed over two miles. I am hoping to work up to 10,000 steps again. Next year David and I plan a big trip out west and I want to do a lot of walking along the way. I don’t care if I lose weight, but if it’s a side benefit, that’s okay. I just don’t worry about my weight any more. Fat or thin, I just want to be healthy.

So I am writing this in order that I will keep the walking up. David is getting me a treadmill for when the weather is bad. I am going to get up to 10,000 steps again, if it kills me. Let’s hope it doesn’t. Bye.

Roy Rogers

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Happy trails to you, until we meet again.

Happy trails to you, keep smiling on ’til then

Who cares about the clouds when we’re together

Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.

Happy trails to you, ’til we meet again.

If you grew up in America in the 1950’s, you probably watched the Roy Rogers’ show on television. Roy Rogers was the ultimate cowboy. My brothers and I watched it every week without fail watching Roy and his wife, Dale Evans, fight the bad guys. Roy rode his beautiful horse, Trigger, a palomino. Years later, he would have Trigger stuffed and put in the Roy Rogers museum. At the end of every show Roy and Dale would sing the above song. One thing I always noticed. When Roy Rogers was on his horse galloping after a bad guy, his cowboy hat never fell off his head. Don’t know why I noticed that, but I did.

This is a long way around to telling you about another dream I had the other night and forgot to write about on my last post. I dreamed I was at Roy Rogers’ funeral. There were a lot of people there, but no one was crying. In fact, people looked pretty happy. And then, I noticed something you don’t see at funerals. The guy they were remembering was alive and standing in the crowd of people, talking and laughing with them Yes, there was Roy Rogers standing there. It made me so happy to see him. And then I woke up. I know Roy Rogers is happy where he is right now so the dream actually made me happy, too.

There was actually Roy Rogers’ fabric for sale a few years ago and I got some. I hate to cut it up, though. Maybe I’ll get it out and make a little quilt to remind me of all those shows I watched with Roy and Dale.

Here’s to Roy Rogers, one of the greatest cowboys of all time. I hope to see him one day. Bye.

Dreams

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I have dreamed all my life. I remember dreams I had when I was a young girl. Some were really scary. Some were rather funny. David says he hardly remembers dreaming at all, although one night years ago he was fighting with someone in a dream and he punched me on the arm. I shook him awake and told him what he had done. He didn’t remember the dream. I have very vivid dreams that I remember for a long time. Some I cannot remember as soon as I wake up.

I read one time that we dream in only black and white. Wrong. My dreams are in bold Technicolor and three dimensional. I don’t know whether it’s because my neck has been hurting at night when I am in bed and my synapses are all screwed up, but the last couple of dreams I have had were so vivid and so real, I thought they were really happening. You know those movies made in the fifties where the colors are so vivid? That’s my dreams.

The other night I dreamed David and I were driving in England in our little PT Cruiser and off in the distance I saw the White Cliffs of Dover. Now I have always wanted to go to England and see the cliffs, so in my dream I was really excited. I told David to drive up to them and he made an immediate right hand turn and was driving on a rocky cliff with drop offs on both sides. The really strange thing was, I was standing outside of the car yelling at him to get off the cliff as he bumped and rolled on ahead of me. I was so scared. I ran down this big mountain we were on and saw David driving down the side of it just as easy as pie. My sense of relief was so great, I thought I would cry. We arrived in this village where people were dressed up. The men wore bright blue jackets with white pants and white shoes and the women were wearing what looked like dresses out of the 1930’s, long and slender. The sky was a brilliant blue and the white cliffs that could be seen were so very white. The people were just milling about and I could see just a corner of the cliffs around a corner, but could not get to them. So, I went up to this very tall woman, she was at least six feet tall, with short, curled blonde hair and a very haughty look upon her face, and asked her if there were boats taking tours to the White Cliffs of Dover. She said no, but there……..and there is where I could not understand a single word she was saying. Almost like a foreign language even though she was speaking English. I was very disappointed. Then all the people started to exit this courtyard, going, I knew not where and I tried to walk to the cliffs and saw that the ocean was raging and a storm was at sea. Then I woke up. Hmmmmm.

I don’t know how that dream would be analyzed, but it was very strange.

I dreamed I shot someone in a dream once. I won’t say who as it was a long time ago, but I remember waking up shaking and feeling absolutely horrible and didn’t want to go back to sleep. It wasn’t someone I disliked, either. So, don’t know where that dream came from. It was right after President John F. Kennedy was shot so I probably had shooting on my mind.

When I had a tooth pulled years ago, I had laughing gas. I had a very fun dream during the time I was under. I was having a party with Disney characters with balloons and singing and having a wonderful time. When I came to from the gas, I was laughing and telling the dentist I had just been to a party.

Every night when I go to sleep, I pray to God I will have pleasant dreams. I always wonder what I will dream about. There are certain things I cannot see before I go to sleep. Snakes. I saw some yellow snakes on tv one evening and that very night I dreamed there were yellow snakes under my dresser striking at me. So, I cannot see a snake or even think of one before retiring for the night.

Do you have strange dreams? Do you dream in color? I find dreams very interesting. Do they represent something in our lives? I don’t know. I just know I have a very interesting dream life.

Here’s to dreams, the good ones. Bye.

Wandering Down Memory Lane

State Fair!

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Our state fair is the best state fair

Don’t miss it, don’t even be late.

Dollars to donuts our state fair

Is the best state fair in the state!

Rodgers and Hammerstein

David and I hadn’t been to our state fair for years so we decided we would go this year. We also decided to take our grandboys.

We kept two of the boys Friday night and spent the day on Saturday with them. The boys decided they wanted to make a quilt so I said, “Sure,” and so they did. I had a lot of two and a half inch squares cut, so I told them they could make a quilt with them, eight across and eight down and asked them many squares they would need. Teaching them a little multiplication also. We needed sixty-four squares so they started sewing the squares together. I wish I had taken pictures. One boy sewed and the other one ironed the pieces. I had to teach iron safety also as he kept leaving the iron laid down on the ironing board. By the end, they both were losing interest, but I kept them working and teaching them you don’t give up and quit. Finally we had it ready for quilting and they really liked doing that on the machine. Had to teach them safety with a sewing machine also. I may have scared them a little about getting their fingers caught on the needle, but since I have sewed my fingers, I wanted them to be safe.

They ended up with a cute little quilt and we made a label with their names and ages and the year on it and I sewed it on the back of the quilt for them. We wrapped the quilt up to give to their mother.

We took the boys to see the movie, “Nut Job 2” and it was very cute. Then to the Dairy Queen for dinner and ice cream. It was a full day. To bed early that night as we were going to the state fair in the morning.

Bright and early the next morning we got up and got ready and drove to Indianapolis to pick up another grandboy. Then on to the fair.

We parked the car and walked up a big ramp onto the fairgrounds. The smells and noise of the fair hit us immediately. I told the boys we were going to eat our way through the fair. Their eyes lit up. So this is what we ate that day. Caramel corn, corn dogs, cotton candy, hamburgers, Italian and polish sausages, elephant ears, donuts, ice cream, and candy from the general store. Plus gallons of water, lemonade and root beer to wash it all down. I just want to say one thing. Cotton candy is much better fresh and on a stick than stuffed in a bag where it hardens. Sad you can’t get it that way very often.

There are many buildings to go through at the fair. The first one was my very favorite. Draft horses.

They are just gorgeous animals.

This guy liked to get near to us. Had very different markings.

I really believe this horse was posing with the boys. Look at those ears.

I think they liked being this close to horses. I could have stayed in this building all day, but we had to move on.

I think maybe this horse was glad to see us go!

We watched the sheep judging. A long time ago, I once showed a sheep at the county fair and won a blue ribbon. I loved that little ram, but Daddy had to sell him because he was getting too aggressive with the other farm animals butting them and he tried to butt people, too. There was a Disney movie in the fifties called, “So Dear to My Heart,” that involved a little boy and his pet sheep. His grandmother didn’t want him to have the sheep because it was black and its wool was not worth anything, but the little boy loved him. He ended up showing the little sheep at the fair. Burl Ives was in the movie as the boy’s uncle. I saw that movie again a while back and it still made me happy.

There was model car racing at the stadium. The boys really liked that.

Those little cars flew off the ramps and into the air and came down and kept going around and around the track. The boys could have stayed there all day, but there was more to see.

To the pig barn. When I walked in it, it reminded me of the farm. We raised pigs among other animals.

This mama pig had the biggest litter for the year with thirteen piglets. Some were chowing down while the rest were snuggled up in a corner sleeping.

In another pen the mama pig was snoozing and taking a rest from her brood who were all asleep.

Ah, peace and quiet. I could kind of relate to her. When you are a mother, you catch your rest wherever you can because soon the kids wake up!

Here’s her babies piled on top of one another. So cute.

Standing in front of the heaviest pig weighing in at over one thousand pounds.

Just noticed his name is Boris. Boris the boar.

In the cattle barn. Once again I smelled the smells I remember from my daddy’s farm. Fresh straw beds for the cattle. The people who own these cows keep their pens very clean and they are constantly brushing, combing and bathing the cows they are going to show.

Some cows would even pose with you!

Time to eat!

Just starting on a day of gorging ourselves.

Corn dogs are so good! With lots of ketchup.

Dave and his grandsons standing under a fan and mister to cool off. It got really hot that day.

We watched baby ducks being hatched. My mother and I hatched some ducks one time and they got attached to me and thought I was their mother and followed me all over. I fed a whole box of oatmeal once to them which made my mother very angry! I was a problem child at times. Ha.

The duck which is damp, just came out of the egg. As soon as they were hatched a woman picked them up and put them with the other ducklings.

There is so much to see and do at the fair and not enough time. We watched a cooking show by a man trying to sell cookware. I have that cookware. I got snookered into buying it one time at a home show. At that time, the salesman would actually come to your house and cook dinner for you and others you were to invite and then after you had eaten, he would try to sell the cookware. It really is wonderful cookware and I also got a food slicer which is industrial grade. Funny thing is, I hardly ever use it and still use my mother’s old pots and cast iron skillet. I think I need to get out that cookware and use it. Walking down the aisles looking at all the things for sale, a man coaxed me into a chair and started putting stuff on my face before I knew what I was doing. He had beautiful brown eyes. I looked for David and he and the boys were walking on. Help! I cannot say no to a saleman, especially one who has beautiful brown eyes and was as determined as this one. He put some stuff under one eye to take out the puffiness. By that time the grandboys had come back and I asked them if my eyes looked different and they said, “Yeah!” Oh, no. The stuff sold for $299 which is not anywhere near what I spend for stuff to put on my face. I don’t really put much of anything on my face but some Oil of Olay and lipstick. Help! Just them David walked up and said “No,” and I breathed a sigh of relief and got up. The man shook my hand, but I kind of felt bad about the disappointment in his face that he didn’t make a sale. See, I don’t like to hurt anyone.

At the Pioneer village they had this vignette set up. I have eaten in kitchens similar to this one.

There were different artisans making things to sell, women quilting and hooking rugs. Some were grinding flour with an old gas powered grist mill So much to see, we hardly scratched the surface.

An exotic animals tent where the boys could hand feed and pet the animals. Except for the zebra. A big sign read, “DON’T FEED THE ZEBRA.” So, we didn’t.

Feed the grandboy!

Three boys in a tractor tire.

Mowing the lawn. They kept saying we ought to get one of these to mow our tiny lawn. One or two swipes and it would be done. I don’t have much lawn. Only garden.

Virtual reality. It was funny watching them turning their heads and looking down as if something were really there.

We were all getting tired, so I sent David to get them all some fair taffy to take home to share and then we walked to the car. I really felt like I was walking on stumps by that time and my back was hurting so badly, I could not wait to sit down. We took the boys to their homes and got home in the evening tired, buy happy for a fun weekend with our grandboys. I hope they enjoyed it as much as we did.

Here’s to fun times with grandboys and wonderful state fairs.