Randoms...

Random entrance to a church...don't think I have posted it before.  It is in Marshall, Illinois.
**************
1.  I had a hard time going to sleep, but when I did I slept hard.  Jumped awake at 8:20 thinking it was Saturday.  Really a bad way to start the day.  Took about 10-20 minutes before I realized it is Friday.  I was upset that I had slept that late, thinking it Saturday and knowing son-in-law is going to bring some of Lorelei's toys to store here for a while and I expected him to be sort of early.

2.  Hung out a load of clothes...they had time to hang about an hour before someone, somewhere was burning something stinky.  It smelled like plastic.  I hurried and took them down and threw in the dryer.  Only took about 25 minutes to be completely dry.  It was a fairly big load.

3.  I have been throwing away colored pages and other paperwork I no longer need.  I rearranged some of my storage totes in the basement to make room for more stuff from Lorelei's home. 

4.  They will be moving sometime in the near future....more about that later.  It is a good thing, though!

5.  Roger is going back to the doctor this afternoon...still coughing.  So say a prayer that either he gets the right medicine or that he gets sent to a new doctor.  He has had a cough forever, but it changed a while back.  Then he got the cold on top of it.  Now, I don't know if it is the cold/asthmatic bronchitis or if it is just his cough.

I leave you with a video...no someone everyone knows.  In fact, I doubt anyone has ever heard of her, but listen/read the words to the song.   I think I have featured another of her songs, but not this one.




Edited to add:  Just checked...I have shared this video before...sorry!

How about:


Tim Grimm is from Indiana...he writes some wonderful songs.

Old and rusty....

This was at the junk store...maybe antique would be a better word.  But it doesn't have the feel of an antique shop.  There is a little bit of everything there.  I got a brand new puzzle...and I must say it had the biggest variety of puzzles of any place I have ever been.
***************
My title was going to title the post 'Old and rusty, just like me' but decided against it.  I have always changed the lightbulbs...no matter where they were.  That is if I happened to be the one that was there when they needed to be changed.  And it has not been that long ago that I changed the light in the bathroom...I am pretty positive I have did it at least once since Christmas.

Well, the light went out, and I started to change it and I cannot do it any more.  Without a ladder anyway.  Zlways before I could just stand on the edge of the bathtub and reach up and take the cover off and do the job with no assistance.  I tell you it felt strange to not be able to reach it...maybe it is cause it was at the end of the day...it sure left me feeling strange.

Two loads of laundry hung out to dry today--and did they ever get dry.  Seems like any time we go away for a night or two, I feel like I have a ton to do when I get back.I have more to do tomorrow.
***************
Last night our weatherman said someone had asked him how many days the river had been above flood stage.  When he counted the days...it was 50 days!  He did say it is supposed to go down by this weekend!

Just a couple more of the girl!

This is Lorelei ready to go to the open house on Tuesday night in the dress I made her.

It fits her perfect, but the only thing is she misses the 'give' that knits have.  But it is okay for for going dress-up places.

As with any kid, I think she is coming to appreciate pockets!
*************
I am not sure what the day holds.   I need to let the kitties inside and feed them first thing.  Then I should check what the weather looks like and think about doing a load of laundry to hang out..

First day of school

She's gone to school--her first day of the school year.    Sure will be quiet around here.  We came over day before yesterday and she giggled at everything the entire day.  Just happy to be alive.  She has so much energy...

Doors--an excuse

I think we all forget stuff, some of us just more often than others.  But did you know that going through a doorway can be part of the reason we forget?  How many times do you get up and go in a room for something but forget what you were going to get?  Or with me, I will get up and go to the computer in another room to look up something, only to find when I sit down, I have forgotten what I wanted to read about.

This is an old article, but I find it makes sense.  You will do better to read the article for yourself, but in case you don't have time it is a bout a team of researchers that devised tests.  First it was in a video game they had the player pick up an item to take and place somewhere else.  Once the item was picked up it became invisible.  If they moved it from one place to another in the same room, they remembered what it was better than if they had to go through a virtual door.  It did not matter what size screen they played the game on.

They also experimented with real people, only when they picked the item up, they placed it in a shoebox with a lid to carry to its new location.  The same thing happened...they remembered what the item was much better if they did not have to go through a doorway.

The article goes on a bit more in depth about how the brain works....at least we have a  legitimate excuse for forgetting things part of the time.

The dance of the butterflies...

On a drive today we came across a group of butterflies...I got this shot which is not too bad, but the rest are quick snaps...lucky to get what I did, but I hope you enjoy them.

I think it is 'that' time of year...

Most of these are cropped to give a closer view.

There is not much to be said for the pics...

You can click on each one to expand the view.

I just couldn't choose 3 or 4.

I hope you don't mind all these shots..

Question for the day

My question is, why do jeans that are old and ratty and have holes and patches feel so good?  They seem to empower me to do more....maybe because I don't fear what happens to them.  But in general, I don't worry about jeans anyway.
******************

I pulled this one from the archives.  Just to have some pic to post.
************
Decluttered a bit today...while doing that I found Christmas in July for Lorelei.  Found two or three stocking stuffers I had forgotten about.  So maybe she will get them before next Christmas.

I found another pair of ratty jeans...that I why I ask.  I just had to put them on and they felt so good!  I often wonder will I ever quit wearing jeans.  I don't think I will.  Though the last few pairs, I really have felt the need to redo the pockets.  The pockets are what draws me to jeans, and in women's jeans, they make them smaller and smaller. 

I would hate to tell what I got rid of today...it had an expiration date of the early 2000's--I think 2001, but not sure.  Might possibly have been 2003.  I think I didn't get rid of the stuff before because I just didn't know what to do with it...this time I did not give it a thought.  It helped to fill another garbage sack from the old garage.    Another one of mainly plastic containers.

I also got rid of more of my old clothes that I was hoping to wear again...but I have given up on that.

Anyway, that is how I spent my afternoon...that and re-arranging a few things and I want to re-arrange some more.  Maybe even rid myself of more things.

Picture from today--laughs from my nephew

We drove down to Goose Pond and the surrounding area today...down south of Linton, Indiana.  We were hoping to see lots of birds, but no such luck.  Not one single Great Blue Heron.  We did see one Great White Egret flying in the distance.

We saw a few geese, a few red-winged blackbirds, a few little songbirds, but that was it.  Most of the ponds were very low.  We both wondered how that could be with all the rain we have had.  We wondered had it missed that area.

Other than that, nothing accomplished today.  Not one single thing!
****************
This came in an email from a nephew:

 Random Thoughts As We Age...

Wouldn't it be great if we could put ourselves in the dryer for ten minutes; come out wrinkle-free and three sizes smaller!

Last year I joined a support group for procrastinators.  We haven't met yet!

I don't trip over things, I do random gravity checks!

I don't need anger management.  I need people to stop ticking me off!

Old age is coming at a really bad time!

When I was a child I thought Nap Time was a punishment ... now, as a grown up, it just feels like a small vacation!

The biggest lie I tell myself is ... "I don't need to write that down, I'll remember it."

Lord grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can & the friends to post my bail when I finally snap!

I don't have gray hair.  I have "wisdom highlights".  I'm just very wise.

My people skills are just fine.  It's my tolerance to idiots that needs work.

Teach your daughter how to shoot, because a restraining order is just a piece of paper.

If God wanted me to touch my toes, he would've put them on my knees.

The kids text me "plz" which is shorter than please.  I text back "no" which is shorter than "yes".

I'm going to retire and live off of my savings.  Not sure what I'll do that second week.

Even duct tape can't fix stupid ... but it can muffle the sound!

Why do I have to press one for English when you're just gonna transfer me to someone I can't understand anyway?

The Puss Puss

I was sitting out back yesterday and had had one chair pulled up in front of me to put my feet up.  When that didn't feel good, I did not immediately put the chair back in place.  Puss got up there and proceded to turn half on her back and half hang her head back over the edge to look at me....couldn't resist a face like this.  Notice her little tongue is half out.
************
Some happenings of this day:
 1.  We saved a hummingbird's life today...how you ask?  We were out there watching one and also thought to keep an eye on the girl above.  She spotted it and was headed for it but we managed to get her in the house.  This is the 3rd bird within a week.  The first was a baby robin, the second a baby sparrow, which I took from her...and I have no doubt she would have nabbed the hummingbird if we had not been there. 

2..  I cut more quilt pieces first thing this  morn.  Just a few, but if I do some every day, I will soon have enough cut.

3. I made a call our TV provider...had to make a 3rd call before I got a reduction in our price.  I really was ready to cancel.  I think we watch more Netflix and YouTube than we do TV.   Anyway, spend over an hour doing that.  The first call I made I was on the phone forever with the lady I was talking to.

4.  I had hung out a load of clothes, and didn't really look at my shoes when I came in.  I tracked grass all in the kitchen...so had that mess to clean.

5.  I did iron a few shirts...am I the only one that irons things?  I don't all the time...but I do sometimes when I have hung certain shirts outside.  I don't hate to iron, but is sure not my favorite thing to do.  Unless it is fabric/quilt stuff.

I'll leave you with a song...

Sweet and spicy

This Asiatic lily has this sweet, spicy smell...so strong it almost makes Roger sick to smell it.

I only have this one in this color...I think it had 15 blossoms on it.
**************
Lorelei had a dental appointment yesterday afternoon and Sarah said she talked up a storm with the dentist!  Jeremy took her by to see Sarah at work afterwards and she walked over to one of her co-workers and talked her ears off.
************
First thing this morn, well, after I got dressed, I did go down and get some more quilt pieces cut.  Still several to go.  But was a good thing I did it before the day started.  I had no  energy left at the end of the day.

We had another box collection going in the garage...I got busy this morn and got them all broke down and stuffed within a big box.

I always start out just intending to save a few to have for mailing items.  Then I end up keeping them all instead of breaking them down as they come in.  I told Roger we will probably need one before the week is out to mail something.

We got our little yard mowed--and then late this evening I got one of my flowerbeds weeded..I am so glad none of you could see it.  It was a mess...I don't know why I delayed doing it.

All in all, was a wonderful day...always feel good when I get something done.

Say aaahhhh!

Just could not resist this...this was Puss Puss and her brother, who is not longer with us.  When we just had the two of them, they always slept wrapped around each other.  I have never seen two kitties more loving with each other.
****************
Tootie went home today...she wanted us to go home with her so bad.  There were tears.  She just did not want to let us go.  But we have things we need to do.  Should have came home and mowed the yard, but will do that tomorrow.  I had left clothes on the line.  So had to get home and get them in.

As I was listening to the washer this morn before I got distracted, I wondered do you other women find the sound of the washing machine kind of comforting?  It just dawned on me that I really do.  It is just a sound of home.  If I close my eyes, I can even feel like I am back home in Tennessee.

**************
With her being here my Lotus quilt project has been put on the back burner.  It was initially paused because my daughter and I were both searching for more batiks in the colors she likes.  Then by the time we found enough, Lo was here.  It is something I need to pay attention to when doing the cutting so did not want to start while she was here.

So this evening, I thought I would see if I could start.  And I did cut a few pieces cut, but not without thinking I had lost my mind first.  There are some batiks designated to go with dark triangles, and then there were others I had decided were to go with the light triangles...I could not remember which fabrics I had done used and had to check the ones I had done made.  Then I happened to think just where I had put the new batiks!  One of those light bulb moments.  So hopefully I will have a bit of time to work on them tomorrow.  Once I get them cut, it won't take too long to get them sewn together.

For a smile

I always smile when I see this photo of Lorelei and Otti....but that is not what I am thinking will make you smile.

It is this...Lorelei has played in the bathtub every night she has been here.  Has enjoyed it more than usual.  Last night I went in there to check on her and she was pretending something with her toys, but for the life of me I cannot remember what.  I guess because of what she said to me just knocked it right out of my mind.

She looked up at me and said, "Mamaw, if you die before I have my babies, don't worry.  I will tell them all about their great grandma!"

And she and I both just laughed...I think she is thinking she would lay and tell her babies stories the way she makes me tell her stories every night.  She wants them about her mom, her aunt, herself, Papaw or me. 

This is not the first time me dying has come up, though it is the first time she has ever mentioned it and not been sort of tearful.  She used to really worry about it.  I don't know why.  Also, she has mentioned it before in relation to me getting to see her babies.

I know beyond a doubt, I did not think of how many children I wanted at her age...oh, she has decided on two children, too.  She has always wanted babies, but this visit is the first time I think I have heard an exact number.

Mamaw, come quick!

This is what Lorelei wanted me to see!  Notice, she has had early training on loving wildlife.

These were taken late evening through the window...they came out of the camera kind of strange.  And in trying to enhance them, they still look a bit strange.

Look at that baby!

This was taken when she was just a baby and we were babysitting her while her mommy worked. It is a joy to watch her grow up.  I am so thankful to live near enough to see her on a regular basis.

The first part/verse of this song make me think of watching her growing up...it has the words if you want to read along with them.  They will be some of our best memories...



*******
I was reading this post  of over at Enjoying Life Wherever We Are and it got me to thinking about prices we remember.  She remembered buying a loaf of bread for 25 cents.  I don't remember that...we seldom bought a loaf of bread.

What I remember is paying 29 cents for a gallon of gas...and I remember there being nickel and dime bags of chips.  And I think there were nickel and dime candy bars.  And I remember when a 16 ounce bottle of Pepsi was a dime.  And the first Barbie doll I remember noticing the price on was $2.97.  We could get a hot dog with no chili sauce for a dime, or pay 15 cents and get it with chili sauce.  And they were sooooo good.

What are the prices you remember that have changed drastically?  We were married in 1976 and I think we usually paid around $0.99 for a pound of hamburger, but I am not sure.  Does anyone remember that price?  I hope everyone has things they remember...

Happy....

The first thing when we got home yesterday, Papaw had to get out the 4-wheeler to take her for a ride.  These are some of the faces she was making while waiting.

Can you tell she is happy?

Just a little short ride makes her happy.  They stopped over across the street to visit a neighbor...and their dog Baby.  Baby LOVES kids...when Lorelei was a baby we took her over to see them and Baby trembled with excitement.
 

Gorgeous spider

An old picture...add to it a bit of HDR effects and get this:

I think it adds just a bit to the pic...how about you.  Do you even see the difference?
************
Tootie came home with us...not sure for how long.  I am dreading school so bad since we won't get to see her or have her much.   She plans to help her Papaw work on the lawn mower today.  Nothing really wrong with it...just general maintenance.  I am wondering does she already know what a crescent wrench is...almost bet she does.  If not, I bet she knows by the end of the day.

Couldn't think of anything soo...

A repeat photo, but they are doing this now. 

I could not think of anything to post about, and I had seen Jacqueline's post here --it is a post of 25 things about herself.  And I have been wondering ever since could I come up with 25 things about myself.

1.  I have embarrassing moments I will never, ever share with anyone.  They are that embarrassing.

2.  There's very little else you haven't heard about at one time or another.

3.  My mom cooked on a wood stove till I was in 3rd or 4th grade.

4.  I love to take a small spoon of peanut butter and dip it in sugar...it is soooo good.  But I have not had it in years and years and years.

5.  I attempted to make my first skirt when I was probably 6 or 7 years old.  I can remember asking my mom if I could have this red material to play with.  We had company, and I don't know if she said yes without really thinking, or if she didn't care.  I tried to make a straight skirt...and it was so tight I could hardly walk in it, much less go up steps.  What I don't remember is how I made it...and I don't remember how I fit it around me.   I don't know if I used the treadle sewing machine but I think I must have.  I know I did not put a zipper in at that age.  I can remember clear as day trying to go up the back steps.  Again, I don't remember if I was able to or had to give up...but I do know I was embarrassed and no one was even noticing.  I took it off and I don't know what became of it.  I think I hid it when I took it off.

6.  I am the youngest of 8 children, or as we say the baby of 8.

7.  I am younger than one of my nephews.  Most of my nieces and nephews seems more like brothers and sisters since we are close to the same age.

8.  I have the churn we used to make buttermilk and butter in when I was a kid.  And also the dash that my dad made.

9.  I walked the railroad part way to and from school almost every day of my life.  First to elementary...I still had a couple blocks to go after I got off the railroad.  Then when high school started, I still walked it, only to catch the bus.  There were a couple different little stores that we could wait in out of the cold till the bus came.

10.  When I graduated, I only sent invitations to my family.  But as I was getting off the bus one day, the bus driver said, "Here, you didn't send an invitation, but I am not treating you any different than the rest of the kids."  And he gave me a card with money in it...that still touches my heart.

And the wife of a man my brother worked for/with sent me a gift, even though she didn't know me. It was a lady's clutch billfold.  I kept it for years just in remembrance of her.

11.  I love google earth!

12.  In Jacqueline's post she has a random thing about the praying mantis...well, it quickly ran a bell with me.  When I was in high school, I had a young praying mantis in my bedroom and was leaving it there on purpose.  Well, when company came, my bedroom became the guest room and I slept on the couch.   My brother and his wife came in and he took my praying mantis outside and set it free, not realizing I wanted it left in there.  Then again, maybe he didn't care...and his wife at the time probably did not appreciate it at all.

13.  I like mustard and onion sandwiches...it has been a while since I had one, though.

14.  I had rather drive a truck as anything...I see a lot of cars I really, really like but if given a choice, I would take a truck any day of the week.  A truck was the first vehicle I bought myself...an F100 with 3 on the tree, as they say.

15.  I learned to drive a stick shift coming from Tennessee to Indiana...to make a long story short, my brother's leg was broke, he was staying with a sister up here, and wanted his truck for when he got well.  I don't remember all the details, but he had went home for a bit, and I went home, and he taught me how to shift gears, etc on that 400 mile trip home in a Ford F250.

16.  I always think it so odd to go into a home that has no books visible.  And actually, I have been in some that I don't think had any books.  How does a person live without books?

17.  Used to when I first met someone, I always liked to see their music selections.  I loved to see what albums they had.  Now, if given the chance, I would see what type of books they read.

18.  I worked at an apple orchard for 19 years...the first 5 years were mainly in the picking season.  Then I began working year round and did a little bit of everything.  It was the best place ever to work.

19.  I live with a lot of regrets...things I wish I had done different.  Things I wish I HAD done, or at least tried to do.

20.  I/we seem to attract strays...be it animals or sometimes the two legged variety.  It is me with animals..and Rogere with people.  Roger went to the hardware store and met someone and came home with a really good, new friend.

21.  I met a good quilting friend through a quilt chat room back in the days of AOL.  We don't see each other much, but still she was a great friend.  She stopped quilting and switched back to crocheting and knitting.  But she sure made a lot of quilts!

22. I am still friends with my childhood friends...

23.  Every fall is when I miss Tennessee the most.  I have lived in Indiana far longer than the 19 years of growing up in Tennessee but Tennessee is still home!

24.  As I grew up, it was a real treat to get to buy a pop of any kind an have a candy bar.  Money was scarce and we seldom bought pop, candy, or ice cream.

25.  To this day my favorite ice cream for a float is butter-pecan!

How is that for some random things...

We came over to Sarah's...kind of spur of the moment and will be heading home in a little while!  With Lorelei.

Looking good to me now

If you combined the weather in this pic, with the weather we had today, it would make it about right.  I wanted to try to go longer than this without complaining, but I guess I am a whiner/complainer by nature.  At least as far as the weather is concerned.  But even this looks good to me right at this present time.

Got up to sunshine this morn..fooled around a while before I put a load of clothes on.  About the time I hung them out, it started clouding up.  And I knew it was coming, I had looked at the radar.  But I just did not think it would come so soon.  At the most, they hung out about an hour before it hit.

Again, not normal..did hear a little bit of thunder rumble around, but no wind.  The rain just poured straight down almost.  We could have left a window open anywhere in the house.

I have did nothing out of the norm today...just the usual.  And been lazy a big part of the day.

From Nashville, Indiana

I was trying to find something in the archives that looked interesting...I thought this one had lots of stuff...and if this is not interesting enough how about the one below?

There is just so much to see down there...I am worn out before we have even begun sometimes.  

And each time we go, I almost always swear to myself that I am not ever going back...but then I always run across these pics and want to return to see what is currently there.  I always think I am going to buy something, then cannot decide what I want.  Just so much stuff that it is overwhelming.

All quiet on the Midwestern front...

The princess has gone to her other grandma's house for a couple nights...and one of her little cousins will also be there.  They are the best of friends.  It is quiet here...

Every night she says 'Mamaw tell me a story....about mommy and Aunt and you and papaw,' and this time she added or a story about me when I was little...LOL  You would think I would have a million stories to tell but seems like the more she expects the harder it is for me to come up with something.

But I had recently wrote and told Mildred this little story.

Anyway, hope you get a chuckle from it--and some of the words are spelled to the best of my ability because they are not real words.  But words spoke, by Lorelei's mommy.  So bare with me...

When Sarah and her sister were young...Sarah probably two, give or take a couple or three months maybe.  And her sister  is not quite two years older than her.  So, they had been at their grandma's...I don't recall if they had been there with their dad or if they had spent the night and he was picking them up.

So they were leaving, and Sarah was still in a car seat and her sister was in a booster seat.  Roger was getting Sarah situated and buckled in in her seat and her sister was in her booster seat and was sitting there singing Mary Had a Little Lamb.  Sarah yelled, "NO, NO! Sister, it's not fleece as white as snow.  It's queet as quite as snow!"  And her sister replied, "No, it's not...its fleas as white as snow!"  And they proceeded to argue some more about it.

You would almost have to see/hear Roger telling me about it...but we still crack up about it, and Lorelei thought it was hilarious!

Not much of a change..

Well, it is a change from my yard, but it is still a bug...a dragonfly. 
****************
It rained here most of the day....and was on the cool side almost.  For sure would not qualify as a warm day in any sense.  I told Roger it looked kind of wintry.  What is strange, and I am not complaining, but there is no thunder and lightning and wind with all the rain we have been having.

I really wish I could send some of this rain to those that need it...

Well, Lorelei is calling so got to run...we are going to roast some marshmellows!

Finished this yesterday

I finished this yesterday.  It has not been washed yet.  Hoping I can do that in the next day or two.

I always like to wash the first time and throw in a couple Shout Color Catchers.

The baby shower is Sunday...so it is done just in time. 

Sunflowers--the flowers that just keep on giving.

First I would grow them for their beauty alone, though the ones here happen to be a volunteers.  I always count on them coming up under the feeders.

Then there are the bees....

Even the flies like them.

And not too long till the birds start on them.  I saw a goldfinch checking them out this morn, but I guess they were not mature enough because I haven't seen it since.  When they start, the tufted titmice and the nuthatches will join the feast.  Plus who knows what all else.  Oh, the cardinals will be dining for sure.
*********
Roger went to the doctor today...got diagnosed with asthmatic bronchitis.  He was given a steroid shot, plus other meds and we can both tell a difference. 

And Lorelei is eating up a storm, so we know she feels a lot better.  The first day or two she was here, she did not eat much of anything.  But yesterday and today, she has made up for lost ground.  I am so glad she eats good...she sometimes says she isn't hungry, but by the time we get it on the table and she sits down, she usually eats plenty. 

We can usually get her to try about anything.  One thing she does not like at all is tomatoes!  I have gotten her to try them a couple times, but have finally accepted that she doesn't like them. 

Well, I hear her calling...she is playing in the tub...so guess she either wants to talk or is ready to get out...

Long gone, probably

I took this back on June 16....they are probably long gone. 
*************
 I sure have not had much time to blog today...and think it is going to stay that way for a while.

I am slowly making progress on the baby quilt..just a bit at a time.  I should be able to finish it by next weekend.  Lorelei is feeling better, but she is staying with us for a while before she goes back to school.  

Flower power...

The residents of this coneflower would bump into each other and just turn and walk a different direction.

The Red Admiral & company

Click to expand the view!

These guys have really been enjoying the cone flowers...there is almost always at least one flitting about, and sometimes two and three.  Well, maybe not always, but sure a lot of the time.  Believe it or not, I did notice the companion of the Red Admiral, but I am not sure if it was a mosquito or what.

The Tootie is on her way here...she is sick and her mom and dad both have to work.  So my blogging may be a bit hit and miss.  I have 3 or 4 post scheduled for my other blog, but none for here.  So will just do as I have time.
************
On a positive note, I did finish the quilting on the baby quilt, and even got the quilt trimmed.  I also got my Juki set up for regular sewing once again.  However I did not get the binding made.  Hopefully, I can get that done in the next few days.  It really doesn't take long to make it.