Old Glory

I thought I would give you a peek at the flag display that the VFW post puts out

every Memorial Day

at Highland Cemetery.

I didn't know if they would 

go ahead as planned, 

since there were

scattered showers

in the forecast.

I was happy

when I caught sight of them,

fluttering 

in the breeze.

I was not really successful

in capturing the 

feeling that you get

when you see this many

of these beauties.

The light wind was perfect

because it kept them

constantly moving,

but different.

 

I'll bet that

at the committee meeting

where this idea first came up,

somebody must have said,

that is just too much.

Wasteful misuse of funds.

Ridiculous.

Who will put them up?

Wh0 will take them down?

Where would we store them?

What about the weather?

It's just too much.

Too much trouble.

Too much money.

Too much work.

Too much.

Well, I am glad the idea person won.

It is too much.

It is too wonderful.

It is too beautiful.

Sometimes an idea is just too good.

It won't be on the news...

It's just a little thing some folks

in a little town in Kansas 

do to remember the fallen

heroes and loved ones

on Memorial Day.

And I love it.

doggie update

We came home from lunch for a nap, then Dad went out to do some more tree trimming.  I went over to see what he was up to and to see if our doggie had spent the night.  She was there, watching him work, and she ran gaily up to greet me.  So much more energy and life than yesterday!  I brought her a loaf of bread and some milk.. it seemed like a good bland supper for a dog with an empty stomach.  She approved heartily.  I hauled branches to the burn pile and she followed me every time, waiting for me to scratch her head after every trip.

I have decided to name her Scout.  She is always looking around, keeping an eye on things.  Dad says that she will follow him for about 100 yards out on the road, then she trots back to the gate, like she is keeping watch over things for us.

I hope she is smart enough to get under one of the tractors or the trailer for shelter from the rain.  It started this afternoon for a while and we are supposed to get more tonight.

She comes when you whistle or smack your lips with that smooching sound.  

I am not attached to this dog.  She will probably be gone soon.  Like all the rest.  But until she is strong enough for the trip, I will feed her and scratch her head and call her Scout.

Name this dog.

At first, I thought this was a coyote.

But it didn't act like a coyote.

This little doggie wanted to be where we were.

She looked all around and decided to stay 

close by.

I kept shooing her away

but she kept coming back around

She was hungry.

Dad gave her the last bite of his sandwich.

She is probably the ugliest dog I have ever seen.

When I came back later to check on Dad

she was right there with him.

We walked around admiring the day's work

and sat a while, 

just listening to the sounds

and talking about the next step.

Doggie sat right by our chairs, 

fetched a stick when we threw it out for her.

Begged for peanuts

and sat right at our feet while we talked.

She is still hungry

but we didn't have anything we could feed her.

I hope she is still there in the morning.

She seems like a smart dog

and she is gentle.

And quiet.

But oh boy is she ugly!!!

I will take more pictures tomorrow

but you know how my luck goes

with stray animals.

The Christmas cat.

The blue-eyed Husky.

And now the Memorial Day doggie.

Im not getting my hopes up.

The Cedars get a Haircut

It's a fine spring day.

I am giddy with excitement.

Instead of typing window sizes,

 I am going to get out 

in the fresh air.

I am going to inhale the cedar

and the honeysuckle.

Ahhhhhhh.

I feel like posing for my senior picture.

Here I am standing in the tall grass

by this lovely tree.

It is going to be such a lovely day.

Here I am in allergy hell.

I had to take several breaks

with this cold wet bandana

over my swollen itching face.

Again.

We really did get a lot of tree trimming done

and it looks great!

No pain, no gain....right?

That's right!

finally!

Here it is.

The first load of lumber.

Changes they are a comin'.

Steel beams arriving.

They are very, very heavy.

We do not want to drop them.

That's why we use this.

Careful.

Watch those fingers!

Success!

Yippee!

the night visitor

I love having visitors at the house site.

It's fun to hear their comments

about how different things look

since the last time

they came out to visit.

I especially like

this visitor.

He doesn't get to come out very often.

But when he does, he likes to make sure things are in order...

He wants to make sure things are done right.

He likes to get up close and personal.

One must also test for strength.

And one must check and see if one can stretch across

completely.

It's just something one must do.

And mother must hold her breath

and accept that one will do this.

No matter how loud she is screaming,

Don't do that!!!

let it rain!

I noticed the other day that there are a lot of these around...

Do you know what that means???

Pie. Cobbler.  Ice Cream with

BLACKBERRIES!

I also noticed that this is the view from my "e-Space",

right next to the laundry room.

Peaceful, isn't it??

Those are Longhorn Cattle.

I'll bet Pioneer Woman doesn't have any of those!

Ok, ok, I'll quit stalling.

Here are the pictures you have been waiting for.

Here is the thing that makes us smile from

ear to ear.

Hear is the thing that makes 

everything all right.

It's the bulldozer moving dirt.

Pushing that nice crumbly dry-ish dirt 

into the big trench all around the house.

No more gaping ditch.

No more agonizing every morning

and every night

while the weather man says

yet again,

rain tomorrow.

All day.

All night.

Let's look at it in wonder... and awe.

This is a true craftsman at work

Total control.

Amazing!

Let's sit and rest awhile

while this bad boy does

the hard work.

Let the rains come.

We have a yard.

The backfilling is done.

Whew!

Back-filling!

GLORY BE TO THE FATHER!

Today there is back-filling going on.  That is where the bulldozer comes in and moves all the huge dirt piles by dumping the dirt into the huge trench that has surrounded the basement walls.

We have been waiting for three weeks now for the rains to stop long enough for the dirt to dry, so that the bulldozer wouldn't be dumping sopping mud into the trench.  It's a little damp today, but there is rain forecasted for 3-4 days every week for the next 5 weeks.  The sun is shining brightly today and it has to happen .  It's today or next year.  Well, that's a little dramatic but I have been called a drama queen in my past life.

The first thing they did today was fill the the hole around where the garage sits.  The bulldozer would dump in the dirt, then Jim would shovel/spread it around, then Brian would operate the  "whacker-packer" and pound it down.  This keeps the dirt from settling once they pour the garage floor.  Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of this phenomenon.  When I took Jim his lunch, he was livid about the fact that he, a 60 year old man was "out-shoveling" the two punks that came over to do that job.  Is anyone surprised here???  My man is tired.

Then the bulldozer took over, moving dirt and  dumping dirt.( repeat.)  This will go on most of the day.  

I will bring you pictures of this blessed event later today.  For now, let's bask in the mental picture of dirt piles being gobbled up by a big yellow machine, trenches being filled with dry dirt, my hubby turning cartwheels....that does conjure up an interesting mental picture, now doesn't it?  

We are both turning cartwheels in our hearts, because now we are back on track.  Whenever Preston and his framing team are ready to start, we will be ready for them!  Lumber, nails and hammering galore! Walls!  Doors and windows!  Sheetrock!  Paint!  Shingles!  Stone!  Whew!

The boring part is behind us, students!  

Fasten your seatbelts!

jewels

The other day, Violet's sewing basket fell down from a shelf in the closet

and these jewels came sparkling down.

This one was saved for Kellie 

when we went through Mom's things

to sell the homeplace.

I wore this one yesterday for Mother's Day

My little tribute to Violet.

And to Grace.

The jewels in my basket of memories.

My two moms.

It's funny which memories come to mind

when I think of them.

My Mom, Grace, brings back pictures of

hanging clothes out on the line.

Dancing to Perry Como and Nat King Cole

in the kitchen.

Frying zucchinni in the summer and

freezing peaches.

Self - sacrificing.

Stern.

She took me to see Carousel and Camelot

live on stage in St. Louis.

We always stopped at Steak and Shake on the way home.

We went downtown St. Louis to shop for her shoes...

size 12 AAAA.

She was the tallest, thinnest woman I knew.

She loved having her hair done and her nails

painted red.

She didn't yell at me for getting sick during a lunch 

and fashion show at Famous Barr tearoom.

She let me order pie at Mrs. Hullings cafeteria lunches.

She took me to Boyd's diner for a hamburger 

after piano lessons on Saturdays.

She made me practice piano for a half and hour

every day after school before I could go out and play.

For 10 years.

She made me play the piano for friends when they 

would come over to visit.

They would all sit around the living room

and listen to my little concerts.

I hated that.

But some of her friends were old world Germans

and they always brought over  this luscious

cake that had about 15 eggs in it  and it tasted like heaven.

You had to play for your cake!

We always went to downtown St.Louis on one night

during the Christmas season to look at the 

fabulous displays in the store windows.

They were animated and so detailed.

My mom made sure I was in church every Sunday.

It was not up for debate.

My mom took a lot of lip from me, and Im sure a lot of

eye rolling, sighing, and brooding.

She  never yelled.

She taught me to sew.

My mom went to a ladies group called

Extension.  I never knew what it was

all about,

but one day they did a craft project where

they brought a pair of shoes they didn't like

for decorating.

She totally covered hers with

daisy fabric.

I guess they decoupaged them...

I never saw her wear those shoes, 

but I loved them.

I wish my Mom could have met Jim and the kids,

and oh how she would have loved to meet 

Olivia and Annalie.

She must be busy now with her flower gardens, singing and dancing

and crafting.

She was a jewel..

a Godly woman full of life,

faithful and strong.

I miss her on Mother's Day.

Violet  became my mom in 1973.

I didn't fully appreciate her gifts until 

I had some time to grow up a little.

Her life was harder and more complicated than most.

But she managed to inject

some beauty into her life

with her gardens

and flowers.

She worked harder than 

anyone should have to

and it wore her out.

But she kept on.

Her body kept falling apart 

and the doctors kept putting it

back together again.

We called her The Bionic Woman.

She raised 5 great kids

made the best cookies and pies you ever ate.

She kept her house clean and the kids clean

and got the whole brood to church

no matter what.

She canned and canned and cooked and cooked, 

probably more hours of her life

than anything else.

She sewed.

She quilted.

She kept  4 rowdy boys in line,

and made them cut their own whipping switches

from the tree.

She killed and cleaned the chickens for Sunday dinner.

These are not my memories of her.

My memories are of a woman 

who cared for her husband with Alzheimers disease.

Lunches at Hardee's every week and

trips to WalMart

A woman who never had anything fancy, 

but who had love for her family

and endurance for the long journey.

A woman of faith in the Good Lord.

A woman who prayed and read her Bible every morning

without fail.

Even after she couldn't really see that well.

A jewel.  A strong woman.

I miss her on Mother's Day.

I am blessed beyond measure

to have known them both.

blessings

No mom is blessed

more than me

my cup

runneth over.

the flower stalker

I went to look at the rows and rows of flowers that have just arrived at WalMart this week.

The sun was shining and they were calling to me.  My hands were itching to get into some warm dirt.

I can't get enough of the colors.  

I don't really miss the old house, but I would like to sneak out there and check the flower beds. 

I just want to peek around and see if my babies made it through the winter.  I want to see that they have doubled in size and are off to a good start.  I want to smell the iris and clean the leaves out of the beds.  I want to straighten the rocks and pull the weeds.  OK, that last part was nuts.  But hey, I am nuts!

Tomorrow it is going to rain again.  I am ready.  I don't care because I got my sunshine fix today.  

And I remember the flowers.

Noah

Did you ever wonder what

Mr. and Mrs. Noah

did while they were 

waiting

for the rain to stop??

They played.

and played.

and they played.

and played.

and then they played.
and they played some more.

they also read books.
and then they played some more.

and then they rested.

Mr. and Mrs. Noah were very tired at night.

But they were very happy 

 to have such

sweet granddaughters

to play with.

The End.

peach love

Are those peaches Grandpa is fixing?

My mouth is watering!

You can have your old strawberries.  I'm eating PEACHES!

I love how they just slide around in your mouth. Peaches!

The juice makes your fingers taste sooooo good!

I can get quite a few pieces in my mouth at one time!

I wonder if Grandpa has any more of those peaches..

More peaches Pleeeeeeeeese!

What do you mean swallow the ones already in my mouth???