The Cookie Monster was at my house

And the cookie monster was a day early. It's not even Thursday yet!

(Thanks Grandpa for showing her where the drawer is and how to open it.)

Pictureless Monday

8:00 AM, got up and had my morning ritual . . .mocha cappuccino.

8:30 The blacksmith and I ground some fresh pork and added some Mennonite sausage seasoning. He fried patties while I made homemade biscuits. Well homemade thanks to Jiffy Mix.

8:40 Throw a load of clothes in the washer.

8:50 Eat breakfast.

9:30 Throw clothes in dryer

9:45 Wash hair, load up the recyclables in the Jeep.

10:00 Dry hair, change clothes, put on make up.

10:30 Fold clothes and put them away.

11:00 Leave for town.

11:15 Arrive at the post office to mail a package for the blacksmith.

11:25 Take the recyclable to New World.

11:45 Go to TJ Maxx. Find 4 pairs of new undies. Hubby says not a good thing to share on the blog. IDK why, I shared his before.

11:55 $$ Store. Pick up Halloween cards and plastic storage boxes.

12:10 Time for the dreaded Wal-Mart trip.

1:15 Visit Mom at the retirement center. Check out a new room she wants to move in.

2:00 Quick trip to Dollar General for a box of rice I forgot at Wal-Mart.

2:10 Stop at Weber's Meat Market. Order 2 fresh cut up chickens and 4 slices of head cheese. YUCK, double YUCK! But the blacksmith will love me for it.

2:12 Call BFF to see if I can make dinner for her. She tells me baby Lane has a 70% chance of getting released from the hospital today. Keep your fingers crossed.

2:30 Arrive home, soak the chicken in cold salt water. Make blackberry crisp. Make broccoli casserole.

4:00 Start frying chicken.

5:00 BFF arrives with news baby Lane and parents arrived home at 4:30. PRAISE THE LORD!!!

5:45 I Leave for my first aerobic work out.

6:45 Survived my first aerobic work out. Now if I can get out of bed tomorrow!!!

7:00 Dinner with the blacksmith, fried chicken, broccoli casserole, refrigerator cucumbers with onions and blackberry crisp.

Now you get the picture . . . busy day!

Boonville Tractor show 2010

The day started very cool and damp.

We saw small steam engines running.

We've always talked abut some day owning a teardrop trailer, but not this one!

It's all about quality.

There was produce to buy.

There were small hit and miss engines running.

There were trains running.

There were draft horses eating.

There was wheat threshing going on.

There was pondering happening too.

How could anyone build a smaller replica like that?

The blacksmith was amazed at it.

There was very slow board making going on by the Japanese.

It is almost a lost art.

Only 20 people are known to do it this way.

After watching them pull the huge blade through,

I understand why there are only 20 too.

The biggest working engine there.

300 horsepower.

Need I say noisy?

Then came the parade.

This picture was allowed as it wasn't Mennonites driving.

Large steam powered tractors made their way up the hill.

Hi Randy! He works with my son.

I just had to take a picture with the speed limit sign.

I really don't think you'd want to go much faster than 5 mph with steel wheels.

It looks like a very bouncy ride.

Santa even made an appearance.

A power horse, not what you think of when talking about a horse.

This is a classmate of mind, David Propst.

We graduated from high school 40 years ago.

This truck belongs to a fellow blacksmith friend of ours, Don Asbee.

We stuck our business card beside his in the window frame.

Cedar shingle making with steam power.

Hometown boy Daniel, who by the way didn't pull his best.

Better luck next time!

And to keep with the theme of this blog, i.e. Quilting, here is a barn quilt the blacksmith spied as we were walking the grounds.

It turned into a beautiful day. We spent 7 hours roaming the flea market, the food vendors, the tractors, the blacksmiths, and the steam engines.

It was amazing all people that we ran into that we knew.

Farmall wall hanging

I finished it up today while the little one napped. My next project will probably be 35 - eight foot table runners to hem. It was so kind of My loves, my life to help me. We will have two sergers hemming away!

I so love Thursdays!

Just for Rusty!

The pepper jelly that is, not the flowers, they are for me!

After all only 185 more days until he is officially my son-in-law.

Tow service anyone?

Oh the last, lazy days of summer are upon us. On Labor day we tried to squeeze in as much fun time as possible.



So we loaded up our dog and the boat and headed for the river. Soon after arriving on Luebbering's Island, we were joined by the blacksmith's brother and wife, and my god daughter.



The game of washers was on!



First it was Pat's turn.

The blacksmith took a turn.

I even took a turn, and I'm not a game player.

Larraine was last to go.

After two hours of fun and sun it was time to head home. We were invited to Pat and Larraine's for grilled steak. Who could turn that down? I had a fresh out of the oven peach pie to add to the meal.

So down river we went. Well some of us . . .

Pat and Larraine are enjoying the boat ride.

Until this happened! The battery was "dead". Pat waves for help.

I grabbed his foot and pull their boat next to ours. The guys attached a tow rope.

Down the river slowly we go.

Eventually it was decided, they should all get in our boat. That way the tow would be less of a pull.

Bentley was so glad to see company.

He makes a good hood ornament.

And that was our day on the river. Sorry god daughter, there are no pictures of you. Seems you took most of the pictures! Thank Melissa!