A few days off.........

Monday I worked on the last of the 6 quilt blocks I had gotten from Mom. I also had the grandson's for a couple of hours, including dinner.

Tuesday, the boys came early. We left for Fulton mid-morning and picked up the motor that was finally repaired. We stopped at the Concrete plant for the boys to watch huge cranes moving big concrete blocks. Back in Jefferson City we took time for lunch inside McDonald's. Two more stops and we would be home. Gma had to have thread.

Speaking of thread....another change has come to Coats and Clark. Not just the price increase, but the spool has changed again. You know I'm an old dog when it comes to new tricks. However this one I like. The top of the spool pops up. Remember the old pink hair rollers called "spools"? That's what these are like. You can now pop the top and wrap the thread in there. It will sure keep your thread drawer clean. When pulling these spools out for the picture, I thought you'd get a kick out of the price increase. The little wooden ones cost .15 cents. The new pop a top one was $3.99 at Hobby Lobby, however I had a 25% off coupon.

Wednesday, today it has rained all day. When I emptied the rain gauge at dark, it measured 2 inches. Today I finished the last of the baby quilts for Mom. Hopefully I will get a picture posted of them when the sun comes out and I can hang them outside. The rest of the afternoon, I spent printing off my journal pages.

Dinner tonight was to have been a BBQ on the river bank with family and friends. Since the rain shut that one down, I made some sloppy joes and slaw. Colten's Dad came over and he and BT worked in the Blacksmith shop making some deer stand brackets.

Tomorrow I am going to treat myself to a pedicure. Unlike my blogger friend Zoey who treats herself to manicure. We are just the opposites. It then grocery shopping and I have to find some new slacks for our annual meeting at work on Friday.

74 degrees 9:50 PM

The grandson's 7th Birthday!

We spent the morning visiting with Sarah. Had a pot of coffee, some chocolate zucchini cake and read the "big" Sunday newspaper.

BT took off for the son's house. He would be frying fish. Here is a golden pan of Missouri Blue catfish frying. Near by a pot of fresh corn on the cob is

cooking. This was a trade made between son and his neighbor. Fresh garden Corn for fresh river fish.

The kids had fun in the yard with the slip and slide. The

grass may never be the same.

Can you see the theme of the party? Spiderman! Cool cake too that DIL made.

Outside the temperature was about 92, hot and very humid. the kids didn't mind. Luckily we all fit inside at dinner time.

Sarah headed out for OK about 4, and we went home shortly after that. It would be a good 6 hour drive for her.

Here is the fun the kids had today. Oh to be young again!

River time!

Sarah made it home just before the 10 o'clock news came on. It was so great to see her beautiful smiling face in person. We talk every day. But seeing the real thing always makes a mother's heart feel good. This is what the sky looked like about 2 hours before she made it home. This was after a hard down pour.

BT and I were up Saturday in time to take the dog to the Vet for a spot on his chin. Doc says it looks benign, gave us some drops to put on it. Patted Bentley on the head and out the door we were.

At home after breakfast burritos, we packed up the boat. With snacks, beverages and towels loaded met Eric and Kathy at the river. Along with them was their son Colten who is just shy of 1 year. He took to the water like a duck.

We stay about 4 hours on the river. Here's a tip....buy sunscreen every year, fresh and with a high sunscreen count. This is the before picture of Ms Sarah. You don't even want to see her in lobster colors.

Back home about 5, we cleaned the boat up first and then ourselves. The three of us headed to, where else, LaBamba. Eric and Kathy pulled in just as we did. We had our drinks before Jeremy, Lori and the boys came. There were Margarita's everywhere! BT almost told them it was Brady's birthday but feared Brady wouldn't like all the attention, the Mexican singers and having his nose pushed into whipped cream. So he ordered the sopapia with 2 spoons and let it go at that.

It was an enjoyable evening with the kids and of course Eric is my adopted son it seems like. Back at home, Sarah's long time friend Holly came and they headed out to socialize. We called it a night and hit the sack early.

Quilts at the St Stanislaus Picnic 2008

Here is just a sample of what was sold yesterday. I wasn't there for the auction but I heard some sold for as high as $2000.00

St Stanislaus Picnic

Sunday July 20th Serving from 11 AM to 7 PM.

Serving Country Fried chicken, Roast Beef, mashed potatoes made with real potatoes, corn, green beans, corn, coleslaw, sliced tomatoes, green peppers strips and the best yet all homemade pies!

BT and a guy preparing the beef to roast. BT cut up 19 boxes of beef. Each box weighed 43 to 58.9 lbs. (There were 16 boxs left for the next shift to cut up)

The empty boxes lined with foil awaiting the cooled beef.

Cinnamon rolls being rolled out. The dough was made the night before and stored in 20 gallon rubber maid containers. (Yes plural)

Just waiting for icing. These will be sold after all 3 masses and also in the country store.

Empty tables just waiting for you to arrive.

Opening the door to an old friend.

This is how our family looked about 1958.

We had just moved into the city from the rural area. At the time there was an empty lot and one house dividing me from a house with 5 girls. Instantly we became friends. My Mom known to them as "Sis" was always there for them. I remember their Mom Jane leaving the door open most of the time for me. If perhaps it did get locked, I knew to climb on the porch railing and reach high for the "hidden key".

The three younger girls, Patty, Roseann and Rita spend many hours playing house with me. The Schepers neighbors had a play house. Sometime we got to go there and hang out. Summer night's we'd go to go to the Highway 50 Drive in. The five girl's Dad was the projector operator. Wesley and I at the end of our sidewalk, with the Suggett's house in the background.

We'd pile in his station wagon with our pillows and blankets and fight off the mosquitoes until we fell asleep. We would also take popcorn from home in a large brown paper bag.

Come winter time the Parks and Rec Department would build a bonfire and pack the snow on the street for us to sleigh ride the 3 blocks down hill into the city park.

Some time I'd go to the house in between mine and the 5 girls and ask for a hair cut. It was the 5 girl's Grandmother that lived there. A few years later Grandma moved to a new house and Mr and Mrs Jones moved in. Us girls would fight over who got to comb Mr Jones, snow white hair. (However it was probably just an excuse to see his handsome dark hair son. Kenny was always too old for us).

Dad and I and our dog Shorty in front of the house in the city.

Many a days we'd sit under the shade tree and play with our Beatle trading cards. (Some day I hope to find those back hidden at my Mom's house)

When I turned 15 we moved away. I cried for days. Then came a new school and new friends. When I turned 16 and started dating, occasionally BT and I would double date with Patty or Roseann.

After I got married and Roseann got married, our husbands had some of the same interest such as hunting, fishing, and camping. We took lots of road trips together. One night I remember waking up in the tent and there laid Roseann next to me with a flash light scanning the roof of the tent. I asked what she was doing, she replied looking for Grand Daddy long legs. See there he is!

Life went on. We all had babies, and as our families grew, our visits were less and less. 6 kids between us 3 girls and unfortunately some marriages didn't last.

Now to see who these girls are, look at my July 4th picture. That's all of us!


Fast forward to today. Last week BT had an eye doctor appointment. He took with him the calendar we bought at an auction . The calendar was from Dr. Bob's grandfather. Dr Bob loved the calendar and asked to borrow it to make some copies. About 1:30 today I got a call from Dr Bob, asking if we would be home, he wanted to return the calendar to us. A short time later, there was a knock at the front door, when I opened it, Dr Bob was two steps down on the side walk and a lady was standing side ways at the door. She turned and I saw it was PATTY! We instantly went into a big ole bear hug. I had tears in my eyes as I invited them in.


As Dr Bob and Bernie visited, Patty and I talked about old neighbors. Who was left in the neighborhood, including this couple who have since passed.
Patty talked about my Mom putting spicy hot liquid on her nails in attempt to stop her nail biting. Or the time my Mom bandaged up her toe. She had been riding her bike with flip flops on (Of course in those days they were thongs) and skinned it. We visited for over an hour and talked non-stop.

It was a great day in the neighborhood today!

Next weekend there is a reunion of the Renn's Addition neighborhood at the local park. I hope to see many more old friends there.

Friendship is like a perennial river which flows forever. It may change it's path but will never ever dry up.

9:40 PM 81 degrees

A beautiful Saturday evening

.....and this is how we ended our day sitting on the deck with the 5 lanterns burning. What a beautiful night.

We spent the day cleaning house and working in the shop respectively. Lori and I then took the little boys and went to Charlotte's Web at the Stained Glass Theatre.

BT and I attended 5:30 mass and stopped by Ace Hardware before we went to LaBamba.

Hope you all had a great Saturday!

9:44 PM 73 degrees.

LePage Threshing Days

Coming in style...BT's wares were on displayThe grandson's playing around a huge Oak TreeBT and oldest grandson helping to pump the blowerThreshing the wheat

BT and young Grandson helping Picking up the wheat bundlesTaking a break
All in a rowMe hemming a quilt under the shade tree (with a bum leg)

Saturday and Sunday we spent at LePage Threshing Days watching BT forge. It was great having the son and his family there. DIL took some awesome pictures, you can view them on her site. Lori Tappel Photography

It was a great weekend, seeing old friends, meeting new ones and sharing old crafts. Here are some of the sounds of the weekend. (Be sure to hit stop on the music at the top of the blog first.

It's fourth of July....

One of my favorite old photos, taken about 1959 in the nighbors backyard. Left to right, Alicia Higgins, Roseann Nentwig, Paulette Nentwig, Me, Patty Nentwig, my brother Wesley and up front is Rita Nentwig.

A CELEBRATION DAY

Today is America's Birthday

so wave those banners high

be thankful for your freedom

as fireworks light the sky

Celebrate with honor

wear the colors proud

salute the flag

Old Glory

show American pride

Hats off to America

land of the free and brave

our country stands united

God Bless the USA

Have a wonderful 4th of July...

A rainy day to visit Fulton Missouri

This is what we woke up to this morning. That's correct 4 inches of rain over night.

So I worked on quilting quilt #2 before I took off for Fulton. I had to take a motor there to be repaired for BT. It was about a 30 mile drive, on a nice cloudy day. On my way I called an old friend to wish her a 2-day early 61st Birthday. (Happy birthday Betty).

After I dropped off the motor, I drove through town and came upon the

Winston Churchill Memorial . The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury twice destroyed by fire, located at the corner of Westminster Avenue and 7th Street, is part of the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library in the United States. Dating from the 12th century, it was redesigned by Sir Christopher Wren in 1677 after the Great Fire of London. Left in ruins by World War II, the architectural masterpiece was saved from demolition by the bold idea to move it to the Westminster campus where it was reconstructed and restored.

I stopped just past a no parking sign and snapped this picture of the Berlin Wall.

One year after the November 9, 1989, fall of the Berlin Wall, President Ronald Reagan dedicated Breakthrough, an 11-foot-high by 32-foot-long structure sculpted from 8 sections of the Berlin Wall by artist Edwina Sandys, granddaughter of Winston Churchill, as the centerpiece of the Cold War Memorial on the Westminster campus.

I made my way to the Wal-Mart and found they still had a fabric department. After adding a few groceries to my cart and dealing with a check-out clerk who didn't know what he was doing, I was finished.

Arriving home I decided to drive around the lake behind the house. However, the bridge was under water, so I could only go one-way. You can also see the dock has broken loose and is floating freely in the lake.

It was dinner in the early evening, our walk to the lake and back to quilting, I have almost finished machine quilt quilt #3.

10:14 66 degrees.

Making a quilted postcard

I can now reveal the blogger friend that I made the postcard for. It's Blind pig and the acorn. Be sure and check out her music too while visiting her site. My new favorites are two CD's I purchased from her made by the Wilson Brothers.

Today I did a little sewing. I made a table runner for the neighbor and worked on the polka dot quilt for Mom. I mowed some grass and made the first bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches of the season. Yummo!

10:27 74 degrees