Edgar County Coourthouse

I took this photo a few weeks ago, and kept waiting to show it in hopes I would get back over there and get a better shot, plus more views. I think this is one of the most ornate courthouses I have ever seen. It is located in Paris, Illinois. Enlarge it and see what you think. Oh, be sure and notice the birds!
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Lorelei is actually down for a nap; it probably won't last long but any is better than none. I forgot to tell that day before yesterday I put her in her little rocker-seat while I vacuumed and she went to sleep in it before I got done. She only slept about 20-30 minutes but that gives me a few minutes to relax....or get things done. That was all the napping she did that day.

Busy....

I can hardly believe that I haven't posted anything since Sunday...I really do not know where all the time has gone. I have had Lorelei all week of course, and she does keep me busy of the day. She is so much joy to have around, even if I don't get much else done. I should post her favorite tune...it is Elmo's world...if you hum it, whistle it, or however way you come up with doing it...she is going to look and smile. I catch myself humming it when she isn't here even...and smile just thinking of her.

Yesterday, she had a doctor's appointment for some of her immunizations, and after she left I did sew for quite a while. I have not had time to really do much in that line in a long while. It seems if I get on here, I find too much other stuff I want to check out.

I made 4 quarts and almost 4 pints of salsa tonight...one pint is not quite full. But that will just give me an excuse to sample it in the next few days.

But canning sure takes me back home...mom canned or froze almost everything we ate. She had shelves in the basement...I think they were about 8 feet long...and were about 20 inches deep I would think. I can't remember for sure how many shelves there were, but I think at least 6. If I remember correctly the top shelf didn't always have canned goods on it. I am not real positive of that...maybe one of my brothers will read this and tell me. And I don't think the bottom shelf was ever full...but the other three or four shelves were almost all full of canned goods.

I don't know just when I started actually being much help with the canning, but I always enjoyed it as long as I can remember. And mom sure enjoyed it. She canned green beans, tomatoes and tomato juice, blackberries, peaches, pears, dill pickles and bread and butter pickles, made sauerkraut, and she canned a mixture of stuff that was for making vegetable soup. I am sure I am forgetting something....oh, she always canned hot peppers also. And I am probably still forgetting something but too tired to remember more.

I don't remember how old I was when we got a freezer...it was a chest type freezer and by the end of summer it was crammed full to the brim. Mom maybe canned a little less once we got the freezer, but not much less. She usually could come up with a good meal, without needing anything from the store. She always kept some meat frozen, at least chicken, and could always have plenty to go with it. And would make a blackberry cobbler or fried apple pies, or any number of things if she wanted a dessert.

Paused

Roger spotted the hummingbird moth yesterday. I think that is the first time I have ever seen one not in flight.
And I barely captured these butterflies....they barely paused. Most of the time their wings continued to quiver even when they lit on the flowers.
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They bring back memories of childhood....my nephew, Glen, used to spend the summer with us. And mom had a butterfly bush out at one end/side of the house. We spent lots of happy hours catching butterflies...we sometimes held them captive in a canning jar I think, but eventually let them go.

My nephew would catch bumblebees by easing up to one on a flower with a jar in one hand and a lid in the other. At times he would catch two or three in the same jar. I didn't have the nerve to catch one, let alone two or three. Sometimes when he had a couple in a jar, they would fight with each other. It didn't take a lot to entertain us back then.

Back then there would be all kinds of butterflies...every day of the week it seemed. Monarchs, Tiger swallowtails, Zebra swallowtails, and several little skipper types. I cannot remember all and probably would not know the name if I could remember what they looked like. I just know we sure enjoyed them back then and I think I enjoy seeing them just as much now, only I try to capture them in a different way.