Just think....

What if we still had to cook our meal on a stove like this....in the heat we have been having.
When I was a young girl, my mom cooked on stove much like the one above...you can see what is left of it HERE....I think I was in about the 3rd or 4th grade when my sister bought her an electric stove.
We also heated with a coal stove, but not like this one. In fact, I have looked for an image similar to the one we had with no luck at all.

Anyway, these were at Patton's corner in the 'house'...and no not the shack showing on Time Stand still today. I will post the 'house' another day....either here or over there.

Remember before I mentioned that we all had to carry in wood and kindling for the stoves. One time, my brother that is next to me in age was chopping kindling. Apparently it was a piece of lumber...for he had it laying on the ground between his feet splitting it. I don't know what/why it happened, but he chopped his foot instead and had a big gash in it. He was using a hatchet instead of an axe....

To the best of my memory....there was no visit to the doctor. I bet today he would have gotten stitches. I don't even remember him complaining afterwards.
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When we were kids, we were certainly not rich. And I don't know how or where it came from, but there was always boards/old lumber in the woodshed. If we wanted to do or make something, we could usually find what we needed. And there was always nails...now if we needed bigger nails like size 12, 16, etc--we might have to go get them. Though there would usually be a few. But we typically had some #8's and maybe #10's on hand....

And we even saved old nails if they weren't too bad and would straighten them out to re-use on occasion. When have you heard of anyone doing that?

I got ahead of myself....

I should have did this post first, rather than the post from Patton's Corner that I did yesterday. But better late than never. When we started our drive, I asked Roger if he minded sticking close to home...I just did not feel like a long drive to get somewhere, then a long drive home. So, most of our little drive day before yesterday took place in Parke County. I had hopes of seeing an eagle...but that did not happen.
Instead, one of the first things we came across when we got out to where I considered the drive beginning was this view! And let me tell you, my photo does not do it justice. It was just so pretty to come upon this view. I had Roger pull over for me to take photos...

If you click to enlarge the above photo, you will see a gentleman walking out to his garage. I did not notice him when I took the photo.

I was busy trying to figure a way to get a good close up view of the flowers. I had take probably half a dozen shots when I looked up and here came someone riding up to me on a 4-wheeler. I stood up and greeted him...and told him how beautiful I thought the flowers were...what a glorious view to have come into view.

He and his wife had retired and moved back to this part of Parke County. They had planted this strip of wildflowers, and plan to extend it all along the edge of this property in the coming years.

We talked several minutes, and during the time I told him who I was, and told him where my husband had worked...don't know why I didn't tell him where I had worked. Anyway, when I told him about Roger, he had to go down and talk to him and tell him a story about the place he retired from. So I took a few more photos, and went back to the car...

Well, they were having a good talk...and during that found out that besides having a great love for wildflowers, this gentleman loves black powder/muzzleloading/mountain man type of stuff. This is stuff Roger loves.

And he knew a lot of history...I did not ask him what he was retired from, but wondered if it was from being a teacher or something.....I sure would have loved to have had him for a history teacher.

He told us some things about our area that we had never known. For one there is a little bitty town not too far from here by the name of Mecca. Roger asked him something about the name....and at one time the town had had a going concern making bricks and tiles, I think. He said there had been about a 140 Arabs come and work there....and if you go to this cemetery near there, you will see in the back some headstones with Arabic writing on them.

He also told us other things we didn't know, but would probably bore you to tears...but I could not leave out the part about Arabs living near here. It is just hard to imagine and you have to wonder what they thought of this area. And wonder why they left and where they went.
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Edited to add:
I forgot I had this set to post. I meant to wait and add the temperature high for the day. The weather station reported 106.5º...here our thermometer said 108º...and I believe it. It is like walking out into an oven here.

Patton's Corner in Indiana

Yesterday was such a beautiful day, we took a little rambling drive...most of which took place in Parke County, Indiana.
This is a little place out in the middle of nowhere. We have passed it numerous times but have never stopped and looked around.

Yesterday we did things differently...we pulled off the road and meandered around through the old implements and tools.

They were so close together that it was near impossible for me to get really good photos, but showing a few of them anyway.

They will at least begin to give you a feel for the place.

All of these photos will enlarge if you click them...they might look better that way but I am not sure.

I will be showing a few more shots from this place in days to come. I could go back there today and enjoy it. There was just more than I could take in. It is just there for you to look at...no one gives a tour or anything. There is a little house/shack that is just full of stuff. Again, could not take it all in.

A song for the playing...

When we were at Sarah's last, we were going somewhere. Sarah, Lorelei, and I were in the car and for some reason had to wait a minute on Roger. Well, Sarah put this song on, All Your Life by the Band Perry...which I would love anyway. But oh, you should have heard our Lorelei singing...she was shy, and didn't sing loud, but she knew the words and sang right along with it. Just such a sweet little voice. The memory of her singing it just makes it an extra special song now.

I am thinking she has a very good memory....cause her mom does not always have music going. I think mostly just when they are going somewhere.
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Supposed to be a beautiful day. Temps are supposed to be a bit lower today and the sky is a brilliant blue right now. I am not sure what we are getting into, if anything.

Kids don't know what they are missing....

I don't know why, but every time I see an old truck, it makes me think of all the times I have ridden in the back of a pick-up. I completely understand why we don't in the fast pace of our world today, but it is a little sad that kids won't know what it is like to feel the wind in their face. I cannot remember the last time I seen kids in the back of a truck...

And I remember one time my brother picking me up at school...well, he was picking up another brother and me....plus there were at least two more kids, and even seems like more. But I can't for the life of me think who it would have been, and I don't know why he picked up the other two boys. But there were all of us in the cab of a pick-up. I still remember laughing and giggling.

Or there was the time he took at least three, if not four of us girls to our graduation....in the cab of a truck. Giggling and laughing all the way. And I think that is when he fell in love with my best friend. And yes, they did end up married...have been married for almost 37 years now.

Ready or not--here I come

Just a couple more of the Great Blue Heron. Stalking something. He crept along so carefully.


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It is supposed to still be another hot one here today. Right now the sun is behind clouds and not horribly hot yet. It clouded up late yesterday and there was a strong breeze. We were hoping for rain, but nothing came of it.

Our yard is almost completely brown...we don't try to water it. Just too much to do on city water. Our city used to give summer discounts, but they stopped that a few years ago. We still water our tomatoes, bell peppers, and flowers. I do not think any of them would survive without it.

I am not sure what we are doing today...may just stay home. We were thinking of going to get Lorelei but she has a summer cold and does not feel good at all. I talked to Sarah last night and she ask Lorelei if she wanted to talk to Mamaw and the first words out of her mouth were, "I want to come to your house, Mamaw!" I promised her that as soon as she got to feeling better that we would come get her.

A road in Illinois..

We went for a little drive today. We have had two or three people mention a barn near West Union, Illinois. One day a few months ago, we drove around down there looking for it...almost exclusively on the east side of Route 1. Well, today we took a road going west, and just rambled around. Almost all the way down to Robinson.

I never did see any barn that was special...yet I don't even know what I am looking for. Just from the way it is mentioned to me, I would instantly recognize it as what they are talking about.

Either way, we were not out at a good time...so many of my photos were NOT GOOD. I have not taken the time to see what I could do in photoshop. I am not getting my hopes up. But I sure would like to go back down that way on a better day, preferably one of those crisp, clear fall days....or one after a rain. Either early in the day or late in the evening.

Someone mentioned fall at a blog I was visiting...saying that even though they liked fall, they weren't ready for it. I am always ready for fall....it is my favorite season. Don't get me wrong, I am always so glad to see spring, and I love somethings about summer...and I love to get out in the snow with camera in hand....but oh, I would love it if fall always lasted a little bit longer...with warm days right up into November. And the leaves aglow with color.

And windswept skies...and hearing the crickets start...and apples getting ripe...seeing the farmers out in the fields. Hearing the corn rustle if the wind blows...that is just a wonderful sound.

I will leave with the following video...even if the music sounds too--oh, I don't know the word...listen to the words. I am pretty sure it is where I got the term windswept sky; I know I have heard it used other places but this song almost always comes to mind when I use the term...so listen and see what you think.

Yesterday's activities....

I have looked and looked and looked for a picture of Big Raccoon Creek that is taken on up the way from here....instead, all it has done is make me really late in posting. So just going to post this of the creek taken at the Bridgeton Mill.

I did make the binding for my small quilt yesterday....wish now I had made the binding for Roger's quilt but instead I got my machine cleaned and oiled, and the quilting foot on.

Then we got started talking about going fishing and headed out to Mansfield...a family was there swimming. So went to the tail waters of the dam on up the way. We fished a little bit and then someone came and got right on top of us. So, we left and went back by Mansfield to see if the family was there...they weren't but new people had come.

So we headed to the iron bridge on up the creek from Bridgeton....not sure what time it was by the time we got there, but probably 5:30 or 6:00. My first cast a nice small-mouthed bass hit, and I caught two or three more, each one smaller than the last...then I caught a creek chub...I absolutely cannot stand to handle those things. I am embarrassed to admit this, but had Roger get it off the hook. And I would have if he hadn't been there and always have in the past. I will do any other fish and not mind, but those things are just creepy to me.

Anyway, we waded and fished. We have spent so many hours in that creek when the kids were young. We would fish and they would play and catch anything that moved. We could almost hear them last night, their memory lingers there. And Roger was recalling them having a water snake cornered...I don't know if he made them leave it alone or if he let them go on...but either one of the girls would have caught it and not thought much about it. Although, they are sort of aggressive, so not sure if it was very big if they would have.

It has been a long time since I waded and fished...for a while it made me dizzy to look at the flowing water...then discovered if I put my bifocals on top of my head that it didn't bother me. But I have to have them with me to change lures.

Anyway, it was 9:00 when we got back to the bridge...at least a half hour to get home, then had to warm up supper. And both of us were so tired we just didn't want to move.
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We did get just a sprinkle of rain...here it didn't even get the sidewalks good and wet.

Where's Bubbie

This is my lovely Bubbie...he is our funny boy. And our loving boy. He came in about daylight this morn and started...jump up on me, then step over on to Roger. Then Roger pushed him on out of the bed...right back around he came and jumped up on me...I think he actually snuggled for just a minute, then back to Roger and this time on down off the bed with no help.

I decided he wanted outside so sat up on the side of the bed...here he came and gave this little bitty meow...I ask him something, he did this tiny meow again to answer me...I softly said something else to him...not wanting to totally wake Roger up. This time his motor kicked on and he was purring so loudly. He was a lonesome boy was his problem.

He is totally entertaining...I will be in the bathroom putting up stuff, or cleaning, and here he will come and reach up and pull down the towels. If they fall and cover him up, that is even better. He will lay there forever. And I cannot keep the throw rug straight in front of my chair. He crawls under it and keeps it a mess all the time. He makes us laugh daily.
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I did do laundry...the heat was awful, but things dried so quick. I think we are going to have to water the flowers and garden daily. I heard our local weatherman say we are behind over 10 inchs of rain for the year so far...we really could use a good soaking rain.

It's ready....

After running an errand or two yesterday morn, I settled down in the afternoon to finish the back for this small quilt. I set a few minutes, then thought with the things I have to do today, that I best be busy getting it pin-basted because it sure would not happen today. I wish I had timed the entire process.

I first stretched the back on the floor, used t-pin to keep it stretched. I spread the batting, using t-pins again to keep it spread out...then the top. After crawling around doing all that it was time for a break. I did time myself on doing just the pinning, and for that small quilt it took an hour. It is approximately 64/65 inches long--I know this cause it is just a bit longer than I am tall. And I think it is around 48/50 wide. I know that because I knew I needed more than a single width of fabric for the backing.
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It was up to 95ºF here yesterday...according to one thermometer. The other said 99º! The local TV station predicts it will be 97º today, while Weather Undergound predicts 102º. With temps like that, I will be hanging clothes on the line, only to return and get them by the time I hang the last item...or almost anyway.

I have a lot I want to do today, so will get busy with it all...

Another day come and gone....

Thought I would show just a couple more flowers...an Asiatic lily above. I don't know the name of it...an a daylily below. Again, I don't remember the name. I do not why, but the names of the different colors of flowers just do not stick in my mind. Even if it is a name I love.
This day lily came from some place like Walmart or Menards....but I want to go to Windy Ridge Farm before this year is out. It is not over 10 miles from us, and we have never stopped. I do not know why. I think because there would be so many I would want. Anyway, I have made up my mind to stop, if for nothing else than to take photos.
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I have been sewing a bit the past few days...I am making a backing for the 4-patch shown in This Post....I thought maybe I could get the backing made and get the layers pin-basted....and start quilting on it. It might inspire me to think of how I want to quilt Roger's quilt. It is pin-basted and just waiting on my decision.

The backing I am making is not just an ordinary backing...it is nothing fancy but I am doing more than just a plain piece for fabric. It is nothing planned...just throwing some fabrics together. Probably when it is done I will wish I had planned it. I have such a hard time in being spontaneous with things.

Anyway, hoping to finish the backing tomorrow...have an errand or two to run so will be lucky to finish it. I have to hunt more fabric...hoping I have some more of the ones I have already used but if not, it is no big deal.

For Lorelei ....

Did anyone notice the pink flowers in the previous post? What you may not realize is that I got them for Lorelei since they are her favorite color--pink. But she is starting to add the colors red and purple.

I think I am getting them for her, then I realize I must really like pink myself...I have a pink dogwood, pink Asiatic lilies, and some other pink bushes!
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We went to Franklin, which is south of Sarah about 25 minutes. My niece got married there yesterday...and then on to Lorelei's house. Well, I did try to get her to try on her new little dress, but she had worn a her favorite pink dress to the wedding and did not want to take it off. So, no pictures of her in it yet.

From the flower bed...

I just thought I would show a couple shots from the flowerbed...how do you like my rooster standing back there? He is so big, I had him out in the garage to go to the thrift store--Roger seen him and put him in the flowerbed and had me look. I love him there.
He also found this kitty at a yard sale...I forget what we paid for it but sure not much.
I love rocks...I am thinking about calling a gravel pit and see if I can buy a small load. The ones above have a lot that are smaller than I normally pick up.
This is the other end of the flowerbed...I want to get enough to go across the front of it also.
Now this is not in the new flowerbed...it is out behind the garage. It is not near as huge as my others, but it has done so much better since I put the rocks around it.

There you have it...nothing fancy....those are gladiolus bulbs coming up here and there. It was so late in the season when we done this, that they were on sale at Walmart...25 in a bag for $3. I figured if I got three or four good ones I would be happy. Instead I got around 20!

Something for the Toot....

If you happen to be new here, Toot is what we call our grand daughter, Lorelei. Not sure how we got started with it, but it is one of many names we call her.

Anyway, this is just a little simple dress...I got the pattern from this post at another blog. As usual, I did not follow directions exactly. It called for double fold bias binding around the sleeves. I didn't have any so I 'lined' it .....just enough to cover the neck and armholes. I like that better than I would have bias binding anyway.

I should have decorated the front a little bit, but all the time I was making it I was wondering if it will fit her...I think it will after seeing her this weekend. But I had it all made except for making the ties and a couple other little items...I had it the hem turned up and ready to sew down....and I needed to get the piece of elastic in the front and back.

I am so tired--I have stood down in the basement playing with acrylic paints and muslin fabric. I tell you I don't have one ounce of talent with a paint brush. I don't know if I played around enough if I would gain any talent or if it would always be just a gloppy mess. I would really like to play like this often for a while to see if I would ever get more comfortable.

This is early posting for me, but going to post this because I have other things to do, and later on I want to watch Mountain Men on the History Channel. So have a fun evening everyone...when I finally get to set down for the evening I will be around to visit everyone.

Did you see that???

Traveling north on Route 1 through Westville, Illinois, I happened to glance over to Roger's side of the road just in time to get a glimpse of this house...I excitedly said, "Did you see that?" and he answered in the affirmative...but we both only got a glimpse of it. So went on, turned around and came back by it.
Route 1 is 4 lanes through there...and being that there was not traffic, Roger paused, then slowly proceeded and let me take these shots...before traffic appeared in his rear view mirror.

I just could not believe the how these were painted on...the limps go across the windows, up on the ceiling of the porch....



Notice how the tree wraps around the corner of the house...the one on the other corner did, too.

Then glance on down the side of the house...that is a spruce/pine type of tree painted on.

On the way home we glanced and back behind the house, is a small Quonset hut and it has a tree painted across the front of it.

I just sat here and got on google earth and took the street view through here and could see this on there...so we have passed it before and not noticed it.

I hope you will take the time to enlarge these and see the details...whoever did this did a wonderful job.

Been away for the day

It was such a wonderful day , that we just had to get out for a drive...headed over into Illinois and then north. To this place shown here. It is a place to view eagles and herons.
This is our third time being there...but have yet to see an eagle. But we saw blue herons today.
We saw a few, but probably not as many as were there. The waterlilies were so tall that once they landed in them, we could hardly see them. And over on the other side of the road, we could see the heron rookery...too far for my lens to be any good. But Roger had his spotting scope and could see real good through it.

I am embarrassed to admit this, but it is the third time we have been there and each time I don't think to take a photo of the tower. I guess I don't think because I am so focused on getting out on the boardwalk.

It was just so pleasant today....low humidity, in the low 80's, and hardly anyone there. One person came by on the boardwalk while we were on it and we were on at at least an hour I would say...and maybe more.

I sure wouldn't mind living near a place like that.

Lonesome...

Princess Lorelei has gone home...did you know that she is a princess. Sometimes when we ask her who she is, she says Princess Lorelei....or if I ask her if she is Princess Lorelei, she will say in a very precise little voice, 'YES, I am.' And she certainly is....

I had a couple people ask if I had made the dress she was wearing in the post yesterday...yes, it was one I made last year. I just bought a tank top, measured down so far and cut it off. I cut the fabric for the skirt in a rectangle whose measurements I don't remember. I think the width of it was at least about 4 times the width of the tank top...and I know I guessed at the lengths. She could wear it last year, but it actually fits better now.

As to the playhouse, she did play and play with it...that was the best $7 I ever spent.

Well, this Mamaw is tired....I need to put this computer away and think about getting to bed. This house was just so quiet this evening...we miss her as soon as she leaves.

Mamaw and Papaw's helper....

We have not been still since she came....or not for long anyway. She helped water the flowers when she got here yesterday evening,
and this morning she helped water the garden.
First look at the face above, then look at the expression below!
You can see a lot in those eyes!
Papaw got her squirt guns...
besides squirting us, she shot bugs and just anything else she could find.
She just now went to bed....it is 10:30....we had to catch fireflies for a while, and she had to watch a few little scenes from Max and Ruby...

This mamaw is too tired to do much of anything, so going to post these and then relax.

Waiting for Lorelei....

By the time you read this, she will be here. I am getting this ready to post beforehand, though, cause once she gets here we will be busy. I am betting she will want to play with playdoh or her bubbles first thing. She is growing so much...mentally and physically.

It has been quite a while since she has been here....I have no idea what she will think of the flowerbed. She usually notices stuff like that. And I also picked up a dollhouse at a yardsale...just like this one. When you press the phone, it sounds like a real phone ringing...and if you raise the lid to the potty, it sounds as if it flushes. It was like new...she has dollhouses at home and really likes them, so thought she would enjoy having one here.

We have been busy today...Roger did the yard even though it only needed it in spots. If it don't rain, it will be a long time before it needs it again. It is brittle to walk on. He also watered my new flowers for me while I tried to pick up and put up stuff inside. I do not know why we have got in this awful habit of piling stuff on the dining room table. I know part of the reason is we seldom eat at the table...from people I talk to it seems to be a common thing.

Lots of times we eat on the front porch, but if we are real weary, we might just sit in here and watch TV. Eating on the porch is one thing I really miss in the winter...

Well, the Belmont stakes will be starting here shortly. I am watching the pre-race part of the day. I just love to see the history and stories about the horses...was so sorry that I'll Have Another won't get a chance to race for the Triple Crown.

From the past...

I saw this in the Livery Stable Antique Barn I posted on Time Stand Still...
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When I was growing up, we had one similar to this in our kitchen. The one we had had the place for the flour on the left side....like the one shown here. Mom kept her flour in it, and her pan she made biscuits in sat under it. dishes and serving bowls were kept on the shelves in the upper right side, I think....glasses sat below behind the roll-up door. Some, if not all the pots and pans sat behind the big door on the bottom

I don't remember what were in the drawers when it was actually in use...

Besides it, we had a big, metal kitchen sink...similar to this one. Maybe some of you remember them...maybe not. The whole thing is made of metal, there is only one basin. We always used a metal dishpan to run water to wash dishes in, and just ran water a bit at a time to rinse with.

Oh, being in the country, we had well water. Which means we had an electric pump. After so much water is ran, the pump kicks on. Well, our pump was in the basement and we could hear it kick on. I don't know what happened and don't remember if or how it was fixed, but there was a short in the wiring somehow. And if we were running water, and the pump came on, when we touched the faucet to turn it off, we got shocked! I can remember that as if it happened yesterday.

Beside that sink, a homemade table sat that had the same height as the sink. It fit between the sink and the wall. Mom hung a curtain across the front of it, and behind it sat a big lard can...that is where she put her cornmeal. What else was there, I don't remember, but it did have more room. The top had linoleum on it to make washing it easy.

For a long long time our kitchen table was a home made one...again the top had linoleum on it--and it had this metal trim that went all the way around the edge...it capped down over the linoleum and kept it from curling up or getting torn I suppose. And we had a bench that two of us sat on...again, I am sure it was homemade, but I don't remember any details of how it was made.

Mom saved and had kitchen cabinets made...this was probably before I was in high school. She first got just the base...they were custom made by a cabinet maker. They were simple made, but they were made well. They filled the wall that the sink and other table were on and extended half way down another wall. A while later, not sure how long, she was able to have upper cabinets made.

Either when she had the base made or when she had the upper cabinets made, she also had a base made with two bins that tipped out...one for flour and one for cornmeal...I think I have talked before about how everyone down there used to always buy their flour and meal in 25lb sacks...so the bins were really used.

It was just so exciting to have all that room....it probably more than doubled her storage room. I really don't know how she made it before as far as space. And all that counter space to work on. Though we still used the table a lot...by then one of my sisters had given her a nice table with matching chairs.

The Mama and the Papa

I have not been feeding the birds this summer...but decided I best use what is left before bugs get into it. The cardinals are some of the most frequent visitors...
They even started to build a nest right by the front steps, but decided against it this time before they got it finished. I do know why they even think about it...the cats are always out there. The cardinals would just fuss at them or us if we came out...

I heard a Carolina wren 3 or 4 morns, but did not see it. I hung up a gourd, but no luck. Actually hung up two gourds...but both are failures so far.

I seen the hummingbird pass by my new flowers again today...it may have actually been there for more than passing by, but I didn't see it till it was flying away.
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I was busy today...hung out 3 loads of laundry...it dried in less than half the time it would have taken to dry in the dryer. I cannot believe how quick it dries when the humidity is down.

We are anxiously waiting for our tomatoes to grow and get ripe...we have little ones...almost the size of a marble. And we have one bell pepper that is approaching golf ball size. I am sort of worrying about if everything got pollinated good. I sure hope so.

From Goose Pond

It has been such beautiful weather the past couple of days, we decided to get up and go for a little drive this morn. Actually had a longer drive in mind, but did not make it as far as I planned. But we did make it down to the Goose Pond area south of Linton, Indiana.
First, we saw Great Egrets....this one circled over us several times. He was not the only one there, but he was the only one close enough to get a shot.
After it flew away, I walked to the water's edge and there sat this big fellow. I tried to get closer but he hopped out into deeper water.

Now take a look below...
I am almost 100% sure these are Black-necked stilts. When I looked here at All About Birds, we are not even in their migration range. I couldn't remember what their name was but thought I had seen them somewhere else in blogland...actually I knew just where I had seen them.

If you want to see some really GOOD photos, check here at Montanagirl's post. Her photos are always super.
We also saw lots of blue herons, but none close enough to photograph....but did not see much else. I was in hopes of seeing an eagle, but nothing was in the air except for the herons and egrets moving from one area to another, and some red-winged blackbirds.

We both threw our lines in the water here, and at another strip pit or two we passed on the way home, but did neither of us got a single hit. I take that back, I did have a little bluegill--and I do mean little. I could see it trying to get my lure and it wasn't a whole lot bigger than the lure...so it doesn't really count. At one of the places, I did see a bass that was at least 18 inches long, but he was not interested in any lure I threw out.