Rain, Rain, go away

So this is how my morning started. When we got up we already had over an inch of rain, closer to two. It even cut down on the hummingbird population.

I then went to town. Found a great piece of linen in the remnant basket at Joann's for $1.31. I am going to make the Noah Ark's from Lynette Anderson Designs. I also found a Leisure Arts Book , Beginner's guide to Felting. It was marked down from $10.95 to $2.36 at Hobby Hobby. Of course they had all their blown glass Christmas ornaments on sale 40% off. So I just had to get some.

The constant down pour made the staying in the store shopping a little more fun. My last stop was to pick up some fresh chicken. Brady and Alex were coming to dinner and they love fried chicken. After all it's their Mommy and Daddy's 9th Anniversary. The boys will stay with us while the parents go out and celebrate.

Happy Anniversary Son and DIL. We love you.

After dinner I went outside in the light falling rain and snapped a couple of pictures of one of our Persimmons trees. Between the weigh of all the fruits and the soaking rain, it has fallen over. We have never seen the trees this loaded with fruit in the 15 years we have lived here.

On my way into the house I noticed this is what the gauge registered. 3 Inches!

4 days and 1349 miles later..........

We left Friday close to noon and drove to Oklahoma City to see Sarah and Rusty. Just as we got into town to meet them for dinner, a storm was coming up on the horizon. Rusty being the meteorologist had to stay at work. We met Sarah at Earl's Ribs Place. BT and I were enjoying a cool drink and fried Okra when she joined us 10 minutes later.

After dinner we took Rusty a carry out of BBQ smoked chicken and got a tour of his station, KOCO. When we got to their house, Josie their Siberian Husky was ready to get out of her kennel and go outside. We watch the local weather of course and then Rusty joined us at home about 10:45 when he was off work. We visited to almost 1:00 AM.



Saturday morning after breakfast, BT, Sarah and I left for Groom Texas to visit with BT's Mom and step Dad, Cornie. We arrived at 2:00 and could smell fresh baked bread outside. Sarah was hoping for homemade peach pie. As we walked through the kitchen she saw pie covered up and sure enough Grandma told her that's what she had made. This is the view from her kitchen window. It the tallest cross, called Cross Ministries.

We had a mid-afternoon snack of banana bread and visited until church time at 5:30. We then drove the 4 blocks to church.

Back home, Sarah and I helped Grandma with dinner. Roast beef, the best mashed potatoes (loaded with sour cream, butter and cream cheese), green beans and frozen Missouri corn. Just as we were preparing to set the table, the door bell rang. It was Cornie's niece Ruth and her friend Allan. Believe it or not, they live just about 10 miles from us and we have known Ruth for years.

So we added 2 more places at the dinner table. Grandma was worried about not having enough food, but there was plenty.

After dinner the guys retreated to the living room and the girls went to the computer and shared pictures. Sarah even got to show Grandma pictures of her house in OK city. Once again we stayed up till 1:00 AM.

Sunday morning BT helped in the kitchen. He took over frying doughnuts while I fried bacon. BT did scrambled eggs while Grandma peeled cantaloupe. It was a great breakfast. When we left about noon, Sarah got to take home the leftover Banana bread for her and Rusty.


When we got back to Oklahoma City Rusty had been cutting grass. BT showed him what to do to trim their tree. Sarah and I took a trip to the grocery store to buy dinner. Grilled brats and salad would be our menu.





After dinner we all retired to the living room. I guess we bored Josie, or so it looked that way. This time we went to bed way before 1:00 AM. It was more like 11 PM. Rusty had to be at work by 3 in the morning. With Gustav coming in, he had his work cut out.

We left Monday morning before Sarah got off for work. Coffee and a brownie and we were out the door. We made it to Sarcoxie Missouri before stopping for gas or lunch. I had seen rusty iron on the way down and we made a point to stop there first. It made me think of Bob and Rita, they always tease BT about looking for rusty iron. BT found a top swage, I came out empty handed. I took a picture of the cast iron booth. I have never seen so much cast iron in one area.

After a tank of gas and a sandwich at Subway, we were back on the road. One more stop at Home Depot in Osage Beach. We made it home before 5. Bentley was so glad to see us. He had moped I guess the whole time. He hardly ate any of the food Fred fed him. All he wanted all evening was for us to pet him.

Unpacking, dinner, reading newspapers, checking email, and recliner time filled out the rest of the evening.

9:43 83 degrees.

We're expecting Grandbaby #3

Now I can tell you, in other words I can let the cat out of the bag. Just in case you didn't notice the baby counter on the side of the blog home page.

Last Monday, Jeremy and Lori came over to grill steaks for BT's birthday. Lori walked in first with the camera, and then in came Brady with his green shirt on, followed by Alex. This was the expressions on our faces.

We are so blessed to be welcoming another grand baby.

Check out Stitchin by the lake blog. I borrowed the baby counter from her, she is expecting a grand baby too.

Busy week

BT and I have been off all week. We keep joking it's a practice week for retirement. The good news is we have gotten along all week. Bad news is retirement isn't close enough.

Monday afternoon we packed a cooler with sausage, cheese, crackers and drinks. We then loaded Bentley up and hit the river. My what a peaceful afternoon. We walked the beach and sat and watched the water flow by. There wasn't another boat on the river until we pulled in to the bank to take out. We saw one boat with 2 guys fishing.

Jeremy, Lori and the boys came over to fix a birthday dinner for BT. They bought T-Bones and Rib eyes. I made the salad and the potatoes. Of course we had BT's favorite cake, Chocolate with white icing. More on the high light of the night in next weeks blog......stayed tuned.

Tuesday we worked on the deck. First we applied a stripper, then a cleaner. BT worked in the blacksmith shop later in the day. He made a shovel for Jeremy's BBQ grill. I cut some grass.

Wednesday we put one coat of stain on the deck before noon. Thursday weather permitting, we will do another coat.

BT went back to the shop after we ate a late lunch or early dinner. He made 4 steak turners out of railroad spikes and 2 hand shovels for the flower beds. I made a baby doll quilt for little Josey. I had made her a quilt when she was born, she is now 3.

We delivered 2 steak turners and the baby doll quilt to Jeremy. We had to take a picture of Brady with his frog gig Grandpa made for him. He asked last night when he saw little bothers picture that we needed to take his picture. Then we took one of the hand shovels to Kathy. She thought it was too cool to use.

Back home we sat out front and watched the hummingbirds till dark.

73 degrees 9:51 and still sleeping with the windows open!

Jefferson City the Capitol of Missouri

Friday night Lori, the boys and myself went to Madison's for Dinner. (The guys were on their annual Squirrel Hunting Trip). It was such a beautiful evening. We were just one block away from the Governor's Mansion and the Capitol grounds so we all went walking. Here are some of the sights.

The Governor's Mansion is a Neo-Renaissance structure and built in 1871 at a cost of $75,000 and has served every governor since. It is currently going under renovations.
Lohman's Landing
Governor's Gardens
Corps of Discovery: Lewis & Clark Monument
Veteran's Memorial

The back side of the Capitol at Dusk.

The domed building was designed by the New York architectural firm of Tracy and Swartwout and completed in 1917. It is the third capitol building in Jefferson City. The Capitol's dome, rising 238 feet (73 m) above ground level and topped by a bronze statue of Ceres, goddess of vegetation, rises above the bluffs of the Missouri River.

Soap Making

I have been waiting to use up my last box of store purchased laundry detergent. I am almost there, so it's time to make laundry soap. A first for me. This recipe was published in Country Circuit magazine, A Three Rivers Electric Cooperative Production (my employer). We have had nothing but good things said about it.




This recipe will make a 5 gallon bucket full of liquid detergent. From friends who have made it, supposedly it can cost you less than $10 to do a year worth of laundry. I had to go to the blacksmith shop to borrow BT's Borax and Washing soda. No he doesn't do laundry in the shop! He uses the borax when forge welding. He uses the Washing soda in his cleaning tank to remove rust from metal.



I see at Drugstore.com, the Borax cost $8.69 for 76 oz. and The Arm and Hammer Washing soda is $5.99 for 55 oz. You only need 1 1/2 cups of each to make a gallon bucket of detergent. The Ivory soap is abut 50 cents a bar. I bought all of these supplies locally.

So here's the pot I used. See my Gnome on the Range is guarding it too.








So here's the recipe:
1 1/2 cup Washing soda
1 bar grated Ivory Soap
1 1/2 cup Borax
1 1/2 cup Powdered color safe bleach (optional) I did not use this.





Mix grated soap with 9 pints (that's 18 cups) warm water in a stock pot and heat on low stirring until dissolved






Stir in Washing Soda, Borax and bleach powder. Stir on low till foaming consistency.





Pour soap into 5 gallon bucket and fill with hot water, mix well. Set aside for 24 hours or overnight to thicken. Stir occasionally during the first 24 hours.


Use 1/2 cup per load of laundry. And as a side note, when you wash with this it will not suds. But then suds aren't what clean your laundry, they can actually dull your wash.

2 days down

With the hubby gone, I've been trying to keep busy.

Monday I worked all day. Played with the dog when I got home. Ate Gardetto's and an ice cream bar for dinner. Had a cup of hot tea for my bedtime treat. Watched the Olympics and once again slept with the windows open.

Today, I stayed on the computer the first 2 hours I was up. After that I ironed just the few pieces left over from the laundry. I then hemmed 5 pairs of school uniform pants for McKenzie. By this time it was just noon. My lunch was marinated grapes*. It was a beautiful day outside so I decided to travel to Lake Ozark to go shopping. On my way I crossed the bridge just below the Bagnall Dam.

I stopped at a couple of decorator's outlets, Marshall's, super Target, and last Circle of Friends Fabric and Quitting store. That's where I found myself a new Paper Piece book, titled "A year of Paper Piecing". Last but not least, McDonald's for a Large Sweet Tea!

It was then deck time with my new quilt book and the daily news paper. Then I cut some grass.

My Naked Ladies having finally bloomed this year. These bulbs were originally started from BT's Grandmother Martha. She was born in 1894 and never learned to read or write. There was a radio program called Kitchen Klatter during the 50's and 60's. She would listen to the recipe and tell her husband when he came home from work. He would write it down for her. Later if she wanted to make it again, he would read it before he left for work. As newly weds I loved going to her house. If it were an afternoon visit, she would have gallon jars of homemade cake donuts or popcorn and always orange soda. If it were for dinner, she would always have 2 kinds of meats.

I will close the evening out by watching the Olympics. And who knows what will be my dinner. maybe popcorn and ice cream?!?

7:16 PM 79 degrees.

*Recipe for Marinated Grapes

1 cup sour cream (not lite)

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Mix well, add stemmed seedless grapes. (Purple are my favorite)

Chill well, OH SO GOOD!