Pretty Horse, Nice Fence

One of the fun things about a drive in the country is getting to see horses in various colors and sizes.  Whether this one is a paint or a pinto is something I'm not qualified to say for sure, but my guess is that it would be called a paint judging by the size and shape.  I wonder if this guy has been wallowing in the dirt or just needs a good brushing?   

Most of the farm fences in our area are pretty much alike and are usually woven wire or barbed-wire like this one.  I liked the posts in this fence.  This photo was snapped about 10 days ago.  

Linking to Theresa's Good Fences 

A memory.....when I was a youngster growing up on the farm we had a number of horses and one day my dad brought home a bay horse and a pinto.  The pinto was a little smaller than the horse in the photo above.  The bay was the same size as the pinto and had a blaze of white on his face and was named Blaze.  The pinto became my riding horse at the time and I called her Sally.  

My older brother, who rode Blaze, and I raced our horses up and down the lane at the farm.  He would always beat me.  Blaze was fast enough to be entered into the races at the county fair and won a few.  Sally was a good horse but not all that fast.  

My dad, who would sell almost anything if he could make a dollar, eventually sold Sally.  I had other horses to ride, one named Star became my favorite and would also get sold.  When I was a teenager, I got off the school bus one day and as soon as I went into the house I told my mother that I was going to saddle up Star and go for a ride.  She had to tell me that Star was gone.  Dad had sold her without telling me he was going to do so.  Yes, I was heartbroken.  I loved that horse and she was the last one I considered mine.  Other horses, including Blaze, were around for me to ride, but I never forgot Star and I remember wondering if Star missed me, too.   

We're having some beautiful spring weather this week.  Hope it's a beautiful day for you.

Happy Thursday to you!
xo Cheryl       

Flowers on Tuesday

Yesterday morning dawned pretty and bright, so I headed out in search of flowers to plant in pots for my new front patio.  I wish you could have seen my car at the end of the day.  It was loaded down with bags of potting soil, flowers and a few new pots.  

I decided while I was at it, I might as well get flowers for the back patio as well.  When I got home, BG helped me unload everything and said he didn't know how I did it.  He's rather be at work!  I told him it started out to be fun, but ended up rather like work.  I think I went to every home center in the Big Town and a greenhouse, too, looking for the best flowers with the best prices!

A couple of my knockout roses pictured above didn't make it through the winter, so I bought replacements.  I learned something new while discussing roses at the greenhouse that I want to share.  Maybe you already know this, but it was new to me.  Knockout roses can be trimmed in any month that has an R in it.  I was glad to know that I can still trim a couple of mine that I neglected to get done.

  "She better not be moving my feeder to hang flowers here!"

Before I get busy planting flowers, I want to thank you for your sweet comments about my trip down memory lane.  I wish everyone had grandparents like my granddad and also my grandmother on my mother's side.  Even though I didn't have quite the idyllic childhood it might appear to have been, I was definitely blessed with some wonderful people in my life.

I also want to welcome my new followers!  If you would leave a link in a comment, I would be happy to visit you and follow back.

Now it's time to get these weary legs moving and get to planting!  It's a beautiful day here, I hope you are enjoying wonderful spring days where you are!

Happy Tuesday to you!
xo Cheryl

Memories

It's wet outside from the rain today, so I thought I'd take a walk down memory lane instead of walking outside.  

For some reason, my dad's parents were on my mind today.  My grandmother passed away when I was 10 years old and I don't remember much about her.   She was 3 years older than my grandfather just as I am 3 years older than BG.  Her first husband had died leaving her a widow with a young daughter.

My grandfather's first wife had died leaving him a widower, also with a young daughter.  He and my grandmother met and married.  When Granny was 42, my dad was born.  My dad then had 2 step-sisters...who ended up marrying brothers.  This was always fun to explain!  There wasn't much visiting between my dad and his sisters in later years, so I didn't really know them all that well.  

  
My dad had an excellent memory and was a great story-teller.  He liked to tell the story of the time my grandparents...who lived on a small farm and often struggled to make ends meet, particularly during the depression...were in the kitchen talking about taxes and my grandfather was worrying that he didn't have enough money to pay them.  He said my grandmother didn't say a word, but got up from the kitchen table where they'd been sitting and left the room.

Granny came back in the kitchen and handed a bulging envelope to my grandfather.  He opened it up and just stared.  There was enough money to pay the taxes.  There was a milk cow and chickens on the farm and my grandmother made butter and sold eggs along with the butter to a little country market to make extra money.  She had saved it unbeknownst to my grandfather. 

I wish I had an excellent memory like my dad.  I just can't remember what my grandfather did the years after Granny died until his health started to fail and he moved in with my parents.  One thing I do remember and will never forget...Grandpa gave me my first wristwatch on my 18th birthday.  It was a beautiful gold Hamilton watch and although he had little money, he wanted me to have a good watch.  I still have that watch in an old jewelry box.

Another memory is of him sitting in his rocking chair in his room, singing When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder.  That was his favorite hymn.  Grandpa was in a nursing home the last two years of his life and lived to age 92.  He was a dear, sweet man that I'm glad was part of my life.  I just wish I could remember more, but the important things are never forgotten.  He loved his family and he was loved in return.

Happy Saturday to you!
xo Cheryl 

Redbuds and Fences

I have to confess that I really didn't think about the fencing when I snapped these.  Both shots were taken on the same day last week as I drove to the Big Town.  Redbuds are one of my favorite spring flowering trees and they are almost through with flowering now. If only they stayed in bloom a lot longer!
  

This building is along the interstate on the way to Columbia.  Last year they planted redbud trees all along the chain-link fencing.  I snapped this shot through the window of my car so it's not a very good photo, but I think you can see how beautiful this will be when the trees are fully grown.  I tweaked the color a bit on this one to make the redbuds stand out more.  And I should have straightened the building, it's not that crooked!  lol!

I'm joining Theresa's Good Fences  today.  Be sure and click the link to see many interesting fences and gates from around the country!

Happy Thursday to you!
xo Cheryl  

The Weekend

A drive in the country.

Beautiful spring flowering trees.

A freshly mowed lawn.  Thanks to BG.

A few chores got crossed off the list.

A Bald Eagle sighting.

And last, but not least, lots of good food to eat.   

We went to my favorite place Friday evening to eat fish and the best mashed potatoes around.  I was so hungry and tucked right in without thinking about the camera ever present in my purse so I didn't get a photo.

We now have a new front porch/patio to walk onto out our front door.  It was a long wait, but it's done now as of Friday.  I loved checking that one off the long to-do list.

Such a nice weekend and most of the storms missed us.  How was your weekend? 




Lastly, I was excited to have found a barn or two on our drive to snap, so I'm linking today to Amy's The Barn Collective.

Happy Monday to you!
xo Cheryl

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Worry.  It's something most of us do from time to time.  Like when you wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep and your mind starts meandering and then often heads down the worry path.  

I think about the state of the world, there's plenty to worry about there. 

Or, I worry that the man will never come to replace our front porch.  It's been over a year now.  So many things to do here and at The Project and I wonder when they'll ever get done.  Oh, they will in due time.  Maybe not as soon as I want them to.
  
I worry that I'll wake up with something out of whack and I'll never be the same again. 

I wonder if a noise of unknown origins woke me up and if I should look around the house, but what if someone is waiting to bop me in the head if I walk down the hall? 

After saying a prayer for whatever the worry of the night is, I fall back asleep until a kitty wakes me up for food.

What I no longer worry about is whether I am using the most correct grammar in my writing.  I know you know what I mean.  I think.  Don't you?  Ha! 

I no longer worry if my house is spotless as I once did and there are a few cat hairs around.  The kitties are part of our family and we all love them. 

I don't worry overmuch about appearance like I did when I was much younger.  So what if I can't hold my tummy in any longer or the neck sags or my skin is getting crepey. 

There's something to be said for getting older, and there's too much life yet to live without worrying about the unimportant things and especially things you have no control over.  Well, maybe I could quit eating chocolate, but the rest is beyond my control and I do use moisturizers daily. 

Some good news...the concrete for the front porch is supposed to be poured Thursday!  We got the phone call just after BG got home from work.  So, one less thing to wonder about if I wake up in the middle of the night.  It is still Wednesday as I write this.

The weather is warmer and we're still getting showers now and then.  The redbuds are blooming and the lilacs are beginning to bloom, too.  It's a beautiful spring! 

Happy Thursday to you!
xo Cheryl

What's Happening At My House

I am trying to write this post at the same time I have a sleeping kitten in my arms.  If my camera was nearby, I'd take a selfie of us both even if my hair is plastered to my head from perspiring with the heat this kitten is generating.  He may be very comfortable...me not so much.  

The things we do for our furkids.  He was banished to the basement after knocking a plant off a table and all the soil ended up on my carpet.  Now a few hours later, he was let back upstairs and I think he is trying to get back into my good graces.  Or maybe he just wants to know he is still loved.  Little stinker.  He is cute but a handful.  He will be going to live with my daughter when she gets moved into her new home.  Whenever that may be.  Sissy is actually her cat, so she will be moving, too.  I'm not sure how that will play out as the two don't exactly get along.  

I have a recipe to share.  I've decided to clean out the cupboards and freezer before buying more groceries as I have lots of food on hand.  It's just too easy sometimes to grab something at the store, but I've been noticing some expiration dates are looming so I need to use what I have.  As high as groceries are getting to be, I hate for good food to go to waste.  I made a delicious Broccoli Cheese Soup for supper with some odds and ends of cheese and a package of broccoli that needed using.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

6 TB butter
1 onion, diced
1-14 oz pkg frozen broccoli, thawed (I chopped it up more finely)
4 cans chicken broth (I made my own using chicken base)
1-1 lb. loaf Velveeta (or shredded cheddar cheese)
2 cups milk (I used 1 pint half and half)
1 TB garlic powder                   

2/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup water

Melt butter over medium heat in dutch oven or large pan.  Saute onions in the butter until softened and then stir in broccoli and cover with the chicken broth.  Simmer 10-15 minutes until broccoli is tender.  Stir in cheese on low heat until melted and then stir in garlic powder and milk.  To thicken soup, mix cornstarch in the water and add as much as needed.  Very easy and quick to make and very tasty!

Note:  I made my own chicken broth with the chicken base, about 1 heaping teaspoon per 2 cups water.  Also, I only had about 1/4 lb of Velveeta left, so I cubed that and added enough shredded cheddar to make 16 ounces.  Lastly, I only needed about half the cornstarch mixture to thicken.  We love this soup and my daughter says it's the best broccoli cheese soup she's ever eaten.

Today is National Lineman Appreciation Day.  I would like to thank my lineman hubby and all the men and women who work across the country keeping us in power during all kinds of weather.  They will work all night long or as long as it takes until the electricity is restored.  And often in very hazardous conditions.  

My hubby is still going strong at 66 years of age and wants to work at least 2 more years when he will have in 40 years as a lineman.  That is him on the pole in a photo taken last year.  

I recently read an article in the latest Rural Missouri magazine we get about a man who retired last year at age 77 after working as a lineman for 54 years.  I asked BG if he had seen the article and he got a gleam in his eye as he said that he had.  I said "Don't even think about it!"  lol!  I don't think he'll want to work that long...at least I hope not!  But, I do appreciate all the long hours and hard work he has done.  And I love that he loves his job so much.

We have had more rains and there seems to be a chance of rain nearly every day this week.  April showers bring May flowers, they say.  I can't wait to get started on planting flower pots.  I have seen beautiful flowers at the shops but have resisted buying yet.  Soon!

Happy Monday to you!
xo Cheryl

What's Your Weather Like?

This was another stormy day here, but I think it's over as I write this.  Tomorrow is Friday already.  You've heard this before, but where does the time go?  I know it goes too fast.  I didn't get the things accomplished that I set out to do. 
 

I spent part of the day trying to figure out how to install a new printer/scanner.  My old one quit on me and I had to quit on trying to install the new one.  It'll have to wait until one of my children is around and has time to look at it.  Just call me tech-challenged.  After I already made a mess of things at my desk, I started going through stuff that needs organizing.  That will have to be finished another day as it turned out to be a bigger job than I anticipated. 

Sometimes I think I have ADD because I can wonder off into another room and easily forget what I was doing and start on something else.  I did keep the laundry going while keeping one eye on the radar online to see when the storm was going to hit here.  Thankfully, we didn't have much damage.  A good sized limb came out of one of the trees.  We had rain and a little hail last night.

I hope the spring flowers weren't battered too much.  The forsythia and tulip you see here are at our other house, the one I call The Project.  There are several forsythias there and red, yellow, and pink tulips.  

Robins, goldfinches, cardinals, woodpeckers, house finches, chickadees and more are still busy at the feeders.  I had to laugh yesterday when I looked out my window.  There sat a cardinal on the feeder looking at me and then at his empty feeder then back at me.  We watched each other for a few minutes until I told him I'd be right down with some sunflower seeds.  I think we have an understanding.

My favorite weather is bird-chirping weather.

~ Terri Guillemets

 

Happy Thursday (and Friday) to you!

xo Cheryl 

The Weekend and The Winner

We had a beautiful Easter weekend.  The redbuds are beginning to bloom in my yard and the forsythias are in full bloom.  It's such a beautiful time of year that you just can't help but smile when you see green grass and pretty flowering trees out your window.

We made another trip to Nebraska Furniture Mart on Saturday which is 12 miles west of downtown Kansas City.  It was a nice trip and we got to see our son and his girlfriend again and had another good visit. 

This store is huge and BG and I walked over much of it.  I snapped this shot as we were about to the end of our ride on the escalator.  This is just a small portion of the main floor.  What brought us back to this place was the free shipping and sales which ends on Tuesday.  I did order the tv stand that I showed in this post.  I also bought a new mattress that I hope will help my aching back.  

We also looked at recliners and I fell in love with this leather beauty.  There is just one problem.  How would it hold up with kitties in the house?  Give me your opinion please!  Especially if you've had leather and kitties in the same house!  I looked at the fabric recliners, but they all pale in comparison to this beauty.  We brought the ordering info home and we need to make a decision today before the sale goes off tomorrow with the free shipping!

We spent quite a long time looking and pondering.  We don't make purchases like this as often as some folks I know, so I make sure it is something I'm going to love!  Once we made a decision on the mattress and while still pondering the recliner, I just enjoyed looking at the decor items.  BG dutifully followed along...hating every minute, I'm sure.  lol!  I spied a pillow and thought it was something I'd like.  That is, until I saw the price tag.

Nearly 85 bucks for a throw pillow...I don't think so.  I must say, though, that this store has it all and most things have very reasonable prices.  I mentioned that it is huge, with a total of 1.1 million sq ft of retail and warehouse space. No wonder my poor feet and knees were aching at the end of the day!  I had fun looking and I'm glad we finally got the tv table and mattress ordered.  We were needing them.

Now...on to the big news for today.  I have a winner to announce for the pretty mugs that I found one day at my favorite resale shop.  I didn't get a picture, but I put the numbers into the random generator and number 3 came up on my screen.  And the winner who matched number 3 is.... 

Ginny from Let Your Light Shine blog.

Congratulations, Ginny!  If you will send me your mailing address, I will get these sent to you soon. 

Happy Monday to you!

xo Cheryl 

Of Rainbows and Promises

We have had sunshine, rain, sunshine, and a little more rain the last few days.  After Wednesday's rain, I walked into the kitchen and glanced out my window as usual.  The photo above is what I saw.

All thoughts of what I was going to the kitchen for were forgotten as I grabbed my camera and made a mad dash out the door to get a better look at this most beautiful rainbow that appeared to be taller than I've ever seen!  It was incredible and so large that I couldn't get the whole rainbow in my viewfinder.   It was also a double rainbow which you might have noticed in the first photo. 
 

Here's the other end that didn't get captured with my little Elph camera.  After a few clicks, I just stood and gazed at this awesome sight and I thought of God's promise when he set the bow in the sky.  

I also thought of many promises I've made....some I've kept and some I've broken.  We can be assured that God always keeps his promises.  He sent his son to die for our sins and raised him up again on the third day so that we who believe in him will not perish but have everlasting life.  Jesus said, "For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”  John 6:40

That is what Easter is all about.  Not getting baskets of candy or shopping for the perfect outfit to wear to church or coloring eggs.  Those things are fun and part of our celebrations, but we must remember the real reason we celebrate Easter.  He Is Risen!  Amen.  

I wish each of you a most wonderful and blessed Easter holiday!  I will see you next week. 

If you haven't entered my giveaway, there is still time. Just leave a comment in my previous post by Saturday midnight.
 
Happy Friday to you!
xo Cheryl

April Fool's Day Giveaway

Oh, no.  I would never give Stormy away!  She was watching me trying to find room in my kitchen cabinets for the new spring mugs I found last week at the resale shop.  I didn't have a lot of success, so I had an idea...why not have a giveaway!  

 
These are the pretty spring mugs I will give away (and a few other things) and I will announce the winner next Monday.  The only thing I ask of you to be entered in the drawing, which will close on midnight Saturday, is to be a follower of this blog and let me know in a comment that you would like to participate.  I hope to find these pretty mugs a happy home.  No fooling!




We had a beautiful day yesterday.  I was out and about part of the day, but the biggest part of the last 2 days has been spent getting everything together for the tax man.  Of course, I had a paper to look for that should have been put in the file cabinet.  I always seem to have this problem every year.  I really do think they unlock the drawer and climb out and go hide just to drive me nuts!  

I have some new followers.  Some didn't leave a comment, so I don't know who you are.  If you would let me know where to find you, I'll visit back.  I have been slow with visiting lately, but with tax season and spring happenings going on, it's a busy time and that means less computer time.   Hope all is going well with you on this first day of April.  Have you been fooled yet?  Nothing here...yet! 

Happy Wednesday to you!
xo Cheryl