Thursday, October 25, 2007

Happy Birthday MOM!!


This would be the birthday girl, my mom, at the dinner party a few weeks ago.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Last, but not least, Noel....


This would be Noel, the 'weakest link'. We adopted her after Puff passed away, and are pretty sure she was mistreated in her first house. It took a LONG time for her to trust either one of us, even though she followed us around everywhere. Queen, of course, wasn't friendly, and ocassionally still bullies her around the house, She's actually quite lovey-now, at least with her 'pet adults'.

She's in the dryer, and yes, I re-fluff/de-fuzz the stuff after she gets out. Something outside attacked her late one night this past summer and we had to take our first trip to the emergency room with a cat (Iowa State University Vet Teaching Hospital in Ames) and they treated her well (she didn't like it either way). We're not sure she can see out of her left eye, but hasn't run into anything yet.

Wednesday in Iowa...

This is Uncle Johnny giving Izaac a bath last night getting in practice for tonight (when I was gone to hand-bell choir practice). They did just fine. Izaac loves baths.
We also had a short road trip today to Kim's house so Uncle Johnny could help her take a bed apart and take to the basement so she could set up a futon in there (her computer corner desk is already set up). Kim's puppy, Max, was excited to see an outsider and jumped and tried to lick Izaac, and Izaac thought he was fun.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Camp Stanhope logo on our garage door




My husband commissioned this painting (by Rachel Newby, our niece) for our 20th wedding anniversary, in August, 2000. This became our 'logo' for Camp Stanhope. (The name came from my mother-in-law, when, the first summer we lived here all three of her children ended up at our house at the same time, unplanned, so she thought I must be 'running' a camp.) This is a good picture to click on to see details. I am standing on the left side of the picture with a cake that says "20" on it and John is at the other end of the picnic table with a tray of burgers complete with his grilling apron on. All the Walker and Markey grandchildren (plus Jason Reynolds, our friend and old neighbor) are represented sitting at the table.
At the bottom of the door, there are drawings of our (then) cats, Puff and Queen, and the dog, (Chia), and the 3 pigs, because we are neighbors with several pig operations. My friend, Kim, likes to say the 3 pigs are her hubby, Ron, and two other guys, Dave Carlson and Steve Carlson. The boat is for my dad, since all the grandkids love to go boating. The parents of all the grandchildren, and grandparents are all on the boat, plus Aunt Mary and Janet Reynolds (our friend and Jason's mom). My dad is supposed to be at the back driving from the motor, but Mary claims that she is driving in the front with the steering wheel! There are also emu depicted (those gray heads showing on the right side of the door), because there was a farm of them just north of here (but they're gone now). There are corn stalks, of course, representing the farms around us also. It's a great painting!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Chia's turn



This is Chia, who came with the house 10 years ago. She's a great dog, but is getting a little slower as she gets older (aren't we all?). She's made up from "leftover parts of other dogs", according to John's sister, which is Chow, Blue Heeler and Akita. She's still got an intimidating bark but doesn't chase as long or as fast as she used to. She's afraid of thunder, and can sense it in a 5-state radius (well, sometimes it seems like it, more like surrounding counties, etc.). She just wanted her equal time in the blog!

My corner of the world


These cows (and their friend, the horse in the background) are technically our closest neighbors here near Stanhope. The bull (the big one in-between the two females, with baby in front of the white one) arrived about a week ago. Last summer, the white and black cows were alone with the horse, but when the calf arrived this summer, the horse was moved to the other field.
This is a picture of our house from the road. The end room on the right is the one we call the "Prairie Room" because it looks across to the field and we are surrounded by native Iowa prairie, which can be quite pretty in summer. There are lots of coneflowers and different grasses and black-eyed Susans in there.
I noticed when I look at the blog page, you can click on an individual picture (and wait a minute) and it will show up larger for you. I then clicked on the 'back' button to get back to the complete blog page. (for the novices, like me, in the viewing arena!)



Izaac at Camp and posting today



This is Amanda (Izaac's mom) and Izaac at the end of September. It looks like they are in their yard at home. Izaac continues this blog this morning after arriving last night at Camp.

dfklsdzsdfjl;hug;asdfasdf'k'afsdkasfdasdf;;klmxcv

I just noticed he got a real word in there--'hug', but that may have been when I was moving his hands (not fingers on keys, just his hands on the keyboard to get some different letters in there...).

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Queenie in the cat bed


This is Queenie taking over the cat bed, with a little room to spare (Queen and Noel are both about 9 pounds, roughly half the weight of their younger brother). On the right, we have Bogie in his usual resting nest, the rocker filled with fleece remnants. I told you it gets
boring around here. It rained pretty
much all day AGAIN today! It was dark and dreary and cold. I had some creative sewing to accomplish, which mostly happened, and then I went to Webster City to get Chia's (the dog's) new osteoarthritis medicine. I still have to put it in ice cream or a slice of American cheese to get her to eat it (and sometimes she spits JUST the pill out of the cheese anyway--yuk).
later now...

Bogie in the bed...

This is the picture I was going to post yesterday of Bogie trying to fit into this cat bed. He apparently doesn't have a problem with it, but I would have loved to watch him actually accomplish laying down in there.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Wednesday, October 17th

Happy 26th Wedding Anniversary to Ann and Don Smalley (John's sister/hubby) in Apple Valley, MN.

Blogger on the blink about uploading images (saw it on another blog, also), so can't send the cute picture I have of the youngest but largest cat we own, Bogart Wrigley (Bogie) sitting in the small dog bed my friend, Kim, brought over (because her dog won't use it). I threw the round bed up on the loveseat to vacuum, and Bogie climbed in, well, sort of. Queen was all curled up in it last night (the oldest cat we have at 8 years now) so I'm not sure if they're just trying it out or taking turns being all cuddly. I'm pretty sure the two of them won't let Noel have a turn napping in the new bed.

Izaac went home yesterday afternoon after his mother's schedule changed. He'll probably return on Sunday to stay a few days. Bogart and Izaac weigh about the same--17 pounds!!

We went to Ames to meet his grandmother half-way and then used it as an excuse to eat at our favorite pizza place (George's) and stopped on the way home at the grocery store.
(I did issue a warning in the first blog about being boring, and now you realize I really meant it!)

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Hangin' out on a dreary rainy Sunday...

(Guest blogger today: Izaac) This picture was literally taken minutes ago, while Uncle Johnny was making his famous chocolate chip cookies and trying to make me smile--since every time I get really cute or funny, Aunt wowo gets out a camera (either the digital or the video) and I instantly get very sober and boring!
If she wants a performance, it's going to cost her!! We've had a great day, playing, sleeping, banging toys, talking, and watching Uncle Johnny very closely.
The cats are interested in Uncle Johnny's supper-something about salmon filets I think--and they keep sniffing the air to get closer to the plates. Those funny kitties. I like to watch the dog, too, even if it makes some weird noises sometimes. The dog came up the stairs and into my (Alex's) room at 5:15am this morning because it was thundering, but I didn't mind sharing, and went instantly back to sleep. later now... "Zaac"

Friday, October 12, 2007

Trainman and Patrick (Montag)



This is a picture of the Trainman and his cousin, Patrick, at the rehearsal dinner for Patrick and Hannah's wedding in Chicago in August (this year). I haven't taken any interesting pictures (like Rachel and Maria always seem to) so I'll go backwards because there are some fun ones from the dinner and wedding and dance afterwards!

Izaac coming to Camp Stanhope, so busily cleaning the messes I've made this week. I love this fast internet! later now..

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Yard work and sewing...

This is a picture of my Uncle Wayne and Izaac on Sunday, 10/7. We had an assortment of homemade favorites my mom whipped up, including meat loaf, baked mac & cheese, french oven beef stew, carrot salad, homemade french bread and dinner rolls, and for dessert, 2 apple pies and pecan rolls, fresh from the oven! yikes.

It rained 2 1/2 inches over Saturday/Sunday and then another inch overnight and on Monday. I mowed the whole 3 acres on Tuesday, but had to wait till afternoon, and then there were still sections of fairly-damp grass. Today I got out a couple of projects from TWO years ago, and it went okay, but the cats wanted in and out 24 times because it was REALLY cool outside today! (about 55 for the high)

Went to handbell choir and got all the evening animal chores done, so I'm going to bed!! later...

Sunday, October 7, 2007

More pics from Saturday evening party

















Birthday Parties 10/6/07


So my Uncle Wayne is here, and Uncle Charlie decided to treat us (ALL!) to a birthday supper for my mom (10/25) at Granite City Restaraunt. It was actually Michelle's 18th birthday, so they both got these cute ice cream Sundays for dessert.
Samantha and I both took pictures, so I hope somebody got one of the other birthday girl!!
Izaac not happy at the restaraunt unless he was outside with someone, so he was really tired by the end of the evening and went home with his grandma Shirley. later...

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Izaac goes to Handbell Choir practice

Izaac visited handbell choir at church last night. He was quite vocal and did finally get a partial grasp on the handle of one of the bells while we practiced some new songs.
This picture was taken earlier in the day playing with his toy piano (his grandmother holds out hope he will be the next great player in the family). We also went out in the yard and pulled grass out of the ground--man that was fun!!

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Izaac at Camp

Trainman arrived home Tuesday 6:00am and slept through the phone repair man visit (upstairs phone didn't work) but was awake by 3pm, so I went to Webster City for a few groceries. I got a phone call that said Amanda (Izaac's mom) had a fever of 102 and the doctor tested for strep (negative) but was awaiting results for the test for MONO!!

So I finished shopping, headed home and we both headed for Des Moines to retrieve Izaac until his mother is well.
This is a picture Samantha took on Sunday on his great-grandmother's lap. He crashed about 10pm (didn't want to, but was really tired) and he's still snoozing at 8:30am.
Trainman left about 6am this morning, and when he returns plans on taking his 3 remaining vacation days (which was already planned due to my Uncle Wayne coming from Bartlesville this Friday). later now...

Monday, October 1, 2007

Ben with his chest painted last Friday evening


This is Ben, who will be 15 this month, last Friday at the varsity football game (after his), and with some of the other players on the freshman team stripped to the waist (it was 75 before the game and 55 during the second game!) and painted their chests the letters to spell H-O-O-V-E-R (Ben was E and his friend next to him was the V).
Phone man coming in the morning (upstairs phone doesn't work now). Was a really gorgeous day on the Prairie today, and I love being able to walk around the yard to enjoy it this year. later now...

Picture of the near-back yard patch

I'm looking for input ideas for this area of our back yard that used to be all weeds (basically) and a viney thing that went up the old light pole (vine gone, pole staying). That is a birdhouse on the (original?) light pole, with a bunch of rocks beside it. There is concrete covering the old well, and the old water spicket sticking up there in the middle of the picture, so they're not going to be taken out. I'm not sure what kind of tree that is, but it's pretty in late summer (mostly red/green leaves). The only thing I've decided for sure is to repair (or replace if I can't repair it) the bird house on the old pole. Maybe a bird bath??

There's a small patch of clover (I think) trying to grow back on the far side of this patch, but think I could contain that (or kill it again). ANY SUGGESTIONS?? (those are two piles of burning in the background--those brown piles that I've been cleaning out 'suckers' and sumac trees around the acreage--but it's been windy or wet so I haven't gotten a chance to rid the greenspace of them)....later now..

Trainman left for work at 6pm Sunday evening.

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