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Surprise visits are the best

Brrr – it’s been cold around here. For the most part I love winter, absolutely love it but I do struggle when it gets so darn cold. If only we would get some snow. I remember my childhood days – getting snowed in. Walking over the fences in the pasture because the snow was so high. I remember one year my dad walking to the highway and having a friend pick him up so he could get to work for days on end because we couldn’t get down our gravel road. Or riding home one night after a wrestling meet and dad getting the truck stuck and having to wade through snowdrifts in my cheerleading skirt to get from the road to the house. Brrrr – that was a cold night. But we don’t get that kind of snow anymore and I really miss it. I love the snow. I love how everything looks and sounds and smells when it snows. I keep hoping we will get snow like again sometime so my kids can experience it. Instead – we have cold. Even Drew, who loves to be outside, doesn’t want to go out when it’s cold like this. We still have a lot of winter left – I’m sure we’ll get some snow. Just not the amounts I remember from the past.

The truck windshield this morning – definitely had to let the truck warm up before we left!

The sunrise was beautiful this morning . This pic taken with my phone doesn’t do it justice. Everything was pink and the sun itself was a big beautiful round ball. It was breathtaking!

We had a surprise visitor this evening. My 25-year old son Aaron stopped by. He likes to stop by for surprise visits. He’s always so busy he never schedules anything but that’s okay. I love that he feels comfortable to stop by whenever he wants. We had a nice chat while his dad was out hunting. Then we had supper and he and Joe went out and changed the oil in his car. Now it’s time to get Drew in the bath and get settled in for the evening in my nice warm house!

I always know

I always know where Drew has been. He leaves a trail everywhere he goes! This one was easy – he’s finding places where he can use magnets. Apparently he felt the need to claim the dryer! (I glued magnets on old Scrabble tiles I got at the second hand store and he loves to play with them.)

I woke up yesterday with a tremendous headache. Not something that happens often – thank goodness. I started with a headache and then my neck started hurting. I had bought a pork roast the day before and thought it would be a great time to throw it in the crockpot. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about fixing supper. All day I kept thinking it smelled awful and blamed it on my head. Then when Joe got home I asked him if he thought it smelled right and he said it smelled awful. We decided it wasn’t safe to eat it. So much for trying to think ahead and save myself and my poor head. We ended up going to town for supper. A chicken sandwich and cheeseballs – not healthy but oh so good. And I didn’t have to do dishes after supper!

When we got home we settled in and I worked on my blanket. It’s coming along nicely and it’s getting just big enough that it helps keep me warm while I’m working on it. Perfect!

Did anybody have one of these when they were little? I loved making potholders when I was little and when Drew saw this in the store the other day and asked for it – I just couldn’t tell him no. Now he’s enjoying making potholders. So far he has given one to Grandma and one to me and this one is slated to go to his teacher, Mr. Kingrey. I’m sure he’ll love it! I do wish I still had my old loom. It was metal – these are plastic and have spots that snag. They just don’t make things like the used to.

The best part of the day – I got to start a new book. This is a series that I absolutely love. The Bellingwood Series by Diane Greenwood Muir.

The fun part about these books is Diane grew up in small towns in the Midwest and one of those towns was my little town in southwest Iowa. She was older than me but I remember her. Her series is based around a one wonderful character, Polly Giller, and her family and friends who live in Boone, Iowa. So when Polly visits Ledges State Park – I’ve been there or when she stops in Madrid, I have just visited my sister-in-law who lives there! It’s fun to read about people that remind me of my neighbors, friends and family and my little town life here in the Midwest. The covers of all of her books are beautiful photographs taken by Diane’s very talented photographer husband. The cover of Book 2, A Big Life in a Small Town, showcases the office building where I worked for approximately seven years. Book 16 just came out in December and it’s great to know that there will be another coming out in March, then June, September and again in December. It’s such a special series – every new book is like catching up with old friends. You literally feel as if these people are a part of your life. I love a good series but this one is just so special!

Trying new things

Last day of Christmas vacation for the kids. Eric slept in. Drew enjoyed his day – he was loud, full of energy and into everything. He spent a lot of time this morning playing with his Legos and his Dinosaur Play Mobile. While he played away – I taught myself a new crochet stitch. Gotta love You Tube to learn new techniques.

He brought the cat bed and tower in with him in hopes that Pierre would come in and join him!

For lunch I tried out a new recipe – Honey Garlic Shrimp. It was yummy. Next time I’ll add some veggies and it will be a perfect meal to make for the boys when Joe is gone. I try to fix meals that the boys like and he doesn’t when he’s gone. Then I tried my hand at making homemade dinner rolls. I’ve never made homemade bread but have been wanting to try. I came across this recipe and thought it sounded good. I always remember my grandma’s homemade rolls. She brought them to every get together and they were so good. I surprised myself – they turned out great. Next time I’ll spend more time making them pretty though!

They aren’t very pretty but they sure taste good!

Eric had a bowling meet tonight. That kid – he’s always trying new things. He’s a senior this year and never really bowled and all of a sudden he decides to go out for the team. He’s on JV of course but does pretty good. He’s having fun and that’s all that counts. I know very little about bowling and am a little lost at the meets but that’s okay. I enjoy watching the boys compete and have fun.

So – a day of new things. New crochet stitch, new recipe, first attempt at baking bread, watching Eric bowl. I fun day of firsts!

Thanks for stopping by – Rhonda

Pierre

We have had beautiful temperatures the past couple of days. A welcome relief after the hot muggy days we had been experiencing. I take any chance I get to shut the air off and open up the windows to let the fresh air in. Pierre has his favorite window but I hadn’t gotten it open yet so he decided to take advantage of the kitchen window being open!

We were really needing rain and yesterday we finally got some – we had a nice gentle rain yesterday morning and then we had a lot of wind and hard rain yesterday evening. After the evening rain we drove to town for ice cream and a trip out to Lake Belva Deer. The campground was nearly full – a nice long 4th of July weekend for everyone to enjoy. We haven’t camped over the 4th for years – the campgrounds are just too full for us. We prefer a little less people and a lot more quiet! Maybe next weekend we can go – love camping the weekend following a holiday!

Doing the dishes . . .

A view of my kitchen window. A vase of flowers picked from the yard, a pretty plate and pillow tuck. My solar powered wind chime and three little sheep given to me by a dear friend peeking out from under my burlap curtain. Looking at things I love helps make a chore more pleasant!

Does anybody besides me still do all their dishes by hand? I have never owned a dishwasher. Growing up dad always said my sister and I were the dishwashers. (Although Mom almost always did them and we dried – she didn’t want us splashing water on the windowsill) I’ve lived in my home for 25 years now and there just is no place to install a dishwasher. I have a small kitchen with limited cupboard space and I am just not willing to give up any of the space I do have for a dishwasher. There have been times when I would have appreciated having one. Especially when I had three kids at home who were very active in numerous different activities and I was working 40 hours a week. Now, I don’t mind doing the dishes by hand. It gives me a time to slow down, think about my day, reflect on things. Doing the dishes by hand is kind of like hanging the laundry out on the line – both chores connect me to my mom, my grandmothers and great-grandmothers. These chores of mine are the exact same chores they had to do. I love thinking that way. It makes me feel connected to the women in my life – the ones I still have with me and those that are gone. I love that I have a window in front of my sink. I can look outside and watch the kids play and see if Joe is coming down the road. I watch the weather and the kittens play. I’ve spent many hours standing in front of this window dreaming away!

Potting Plants . . .

We finally got some rain last night – we needed it. Now we are enjoying a hot sticky day. I’m ready for cooler days already. I just don’t enjoy the hot muggy days we’ve been having. Although it’s not so bad outside this afternoon if you’re in the shade. I had some leftover potting soil from earlier this spring and decided to use some of it up by trying some indoor plants. As I was sitting outside on the patio in the shade potting my plants there was a beautiful breeze. It was so nice enjoying the cool breeze, with my hands in the dirt and Drew’s kittens playing at my feet. And being alone – it’s a very unusual day for me. Joe and Eric are at work and Drew is spending the day with my dad and mom. I rarely have time alone at home. I treasure these times but I’m always ready for everyone to come back home. The quiet is nice but I miss the noise and knowing everyone is home.

I found some McCoy planters at a thrift store in a neighboring town and went shopping here at home to find a few more. My history with houseplants is a little lacking – I have struggled in the past to keep anything alive. Remembering to water them seems to be a problem. I’m hoping that being home now I will be able to remember! Another issue I’ve discovered is Pierre. I’ve caught him chewing on some of these. And digging a couple of them up. Naughty kitty! Now off to find homes for them. And another issue – with two beautiful big old oaks outside I get a lot of shade throughout the day so finding sunny spots will be a challenge.