The Toy

Last week I happened to mention that my last 3 cars were the same make and model.  Several who commented asked what kind of car it is that I'm so fond of.  So since it's Monday and I didn't do anything exciting to blog about over the weekend, I thought I'd share my favorite car with you.

I took the liberty of finding photos of these 3 cars on the internet.  They look exactly like the 3 we've owned.  We still have 2 of these 3 cars, but they were a bit too dirty to take photos of.  I'll tell you the make of the cars at the end of this post, in case you haven't caught the hint or figure it out.  I'm sure some of you may have the very same car.  It's very popular!  

This 1995 car was the first of this make I would drive.

She lasted a very long time and I loved her!

Next in line was this 2001 car.

She still is going strong after almost being

totaled by a deer that ran in front of me

once when I was driving home from work.

However, she has a lot of miles on her and

we'll probably put a For Sale sign on her soon.

 

This 2010 is the current car I drive, and

you may have guessed...it's a To~yota C~amry.

There they are, my Toys!  By the way, this not an ad nor does To~yota know I'm showing their vehicles.  But I love this car, it has been the most reliable make we've ever had.  As far as the color, I've always been fond of white cars.  On the practical side, I think they're easier to see at night and I feel like they don't show dirt as much as other colors do.

So, any other Toy lovers out there?  Do you have a favorite vehicle you buy again and again?  

Maybe another time we can talk about something really interesting, like favorite ice cream.  Pistachio, anyone?  :D

Until next time...

A lovely surprise

I got a wonderful surprise this week when I learned that I'd been awarded the "One Lovely Blog Award" by my blogging friend, Diana.  If you haven't visited Diana before at These Days of Mine, please do so today!  There you will find great writing and beautiful photos and get to meet her sweet kitty, Sundae.   Thank you so much, Diana, for this award and for your visits and comments here at TFD!!

Now I'm to tell 7 things about myself that you don't already know:

1.  I'm very nearsighted.

2.  My house burned down when I was 9 years old.

3.  The thought of public speaking scares me.

4.  I've worked in a flower shop.

5.  I owned a craft shop several years ago where I rented booths and sold my own crafts, mainly dried and silk florals.

6.  My last 3 cars have been the same make and color.  

7.  I think I'm probably boring...see number 6 above!

Wow!  I've had a long list of things I told about myself in a previous post, so I really was thinking hard for this list!  Another thing I'm supposed to do in accepting this award besides listing the 7 things you don't know about me, is to nominate 15 other bloggers for this award.  I will have to bend the rules a little on this one.  All of the many blogs I read are lovely and there just isn't any way I can narrow it down to a few.  So please, any of you who are my blogging friends would like this award, feel free to snag it for yourself!  And may I say to each of you that I appreciate all the hard work you put into writing your blog and I love to see all of the beautiful photos you've taken and shown on your blog!!   Also, thanks to each of you who stop by this blog and leave a comment.  You're appreciated more than you know!  Have a wonderful weekend!!

Until next time...

I love fall

Fall, or you may call it autumn, is a favorite season for many of us.  It is definitely my favorite season, followed closely by spring.  There are a few things I'd like to ask my blog friends about this wonderful season we've been enjoying for a few weeks in order to get to know you better.  Here is a short list of questions and I'll answer them myself and hope you will, too!

1.  What is your favorite fall color?  

      Red. 

2.  Besides the usual pumpkins and mums, what favorite fall things  do you use every year in your fall decor?

         I have a barrel head I painted years ago that I bring out of

storage and hang on the wall.  Also, I have some fall pieces I bought

at Hobby Lobby that I use in my fall decor every year.  I also use some faux fall leaves and berries in various arrangements.

3.  In a little over 2 weeks, most of the US will turn back their clocks one hour.  If you could, would you leave it as it is or will you be glad to turn back time?

     I really wish they would leave it one way or the other.  But I admit daylight savings has its advantages.

4.  What is your favorite fall or cool weather food to fix that you don't usually cook in the summer?

      Chili 

5.  Do you have a favorite scent that makes you think of fall or maybe a favorite candle you like to burn during fall?

     I think fall has a special scent all it's own.  But the scent of pumpkin pie is really nice, too! 

6.  If you participated in Halloween as a child, what was your favorite costume?

     I'll have to pass on this one, I only got to go trick or treating one time and only wore one of those dime store masks.  Growing up on a farm way back when, we didn't get an opportunity for trick or treating.   But we had a lot of fun in other ways.  I belonged to a 4-H Club and we would have hay rides and weiner roasts in the fall, so we still had fun!

7.  What do you love most about the fall season?

      I love the color of the trees as they are changing, the smells, and the cooler weather after a long, hot summer.  

We've had beautiful weather so far this fall in my area.  It has cooled off quite a bit.  In fact, I turned on the furnace yesterday.  The leaves are falling and I know winter isn't far off.  Wait!  That makes me think of a favorite song!   The autumn leaves, drift by my window.....

Until next time... 

Again...

Since I've been under the weather off and on since last Tuesday and my brain still isn't firing on all cylinders with all the coughing that has shaken things up, I'm going to repeat a post that I used last year in October.  I have several new readers who may not have seen that post.

I did take time to play with a different photo of the old vacant (haunted?) house that I took last year and used water painting to give it a bit of a different look.  The following is a true story about strange happenings in our home that I posted about last year:
 
Since Halloween is right around the corner and even tho I'm really not all that into Halloween, I still thought this might be a good time to share the story of some unexplained happenings here in my own house.  This may turn out to be rather long.  Hope you stick with me and let me know what you think!   I saved the strangest story for the end.

In recent years, we've been experiencing some strange sounds and happenings.  One night while I was at work and my daughter and husband were downstairs....she was at her computer desk and he was watching television.  They both heard what sounded like someone stepping down off of a chair, then scooted the chair across the upstairs bathroom floor.  Then after that they heard a door shut.  Both of them ran up the stairs to see what was going on, but saw nothing out of place.
Another time, while they were downstairs, they heard what sounded like someone walking down the hall.  Thinking I might have gotten home early, they came up the stairs to see me...but it wasn't me!  I was still at work.

Yet another time, my daughter was sitting in her computer chair at the desk and a cool breeze went by behind her and she caught a whiff of a floral perfume.

Both my children have heard music in the house, when there wasn't a tv on or music playing.  My son even walked around the house trying to determine where it was coming from....didn't find anything.  The neighbors were quiet, so it wasn't them...and their houses aren't real close to ours.

I've heard loud sounds in the bedroom.  Sometimes it sounds like a chain or something is sliding down the wall.  That is about the only way I know to describe it. 

One night there was a loud crash, and the cat took off running.  Another time, she got spooked and her fur stood on end with her tail getting big.  There was nothing to be seen. 

I think the strangest happening of all is the day I was getting ready for work.  I had showered and had opened my bottle of foundation preparing to put on my makeup.  Nature was calling, so I sat down the bottle of foundation and went around the corner...there is a half wall between the vanity and toilet...when I finished and went back to the sink to wash my hands, I noticed that there were drops of makeup on the floor.   Looking closer, I noticed that these drops were about the size of a nickel and were almost perfectly spaced in a row leading back to the wall between two closet doors opposite the vanity.  I had a plant stand with a plant next to the wall between the two doors...our bathroom is rather large...and there were some drops on the leaves, too.  Well, I had to go to work so in my haste I cleaned up the mess and finished getting ready and didn't think to take photos.   I was certainly very puzzled as to how that happened.   But when I got home and told my family, I showed them the drops still on the plant and a few had ended up veering off in another direction on the floor that I had overlooked while cleaning up the mess,  so they did believe me!  I am wondering to this day how that happened.  My hubby said I must have shaken the bottle.  No, I didn't and even if I had I would have had to have thrown the stuff over my shoulder, because the drops were directly behind where I was standing.  And how would they have ended up so perfectly matched in size and evenly spaced?  I didn't count the drops, but there were quite a few!  I can't think of an explanation for this.  I didn't shake the bottle, the bottle was unopened and just where I left it.   Strange!!! 

Okay, you probably think I've really lost it!  But all of these things have really happened.  I don't really believe in ghosts, but I have no explanation for any of the many strange sounds and happenings we've experienced. 

How about you?  Have any strange goings on in your house?  If so, please share!  I wish someone could tell me how my foundation ended up in perfect drops on the floor!!  Very, very strange.....
  
I am feeling better than I did last week, but am having a hard time shaking this cough.  I hope you have escaped the various bugs going around and have a good week! 

One more thing...the strange happenings have really slacked off since I wrote about them last year! 

Until next time...

A village on the Missouri River

 

Arrow Rock Tavern and Huston Store

(water color editing used on this photo)

Not long ago, I was headed down I-70 and decided to take a detour down Hwy 71 to Arrow Rock, MO.  Arrow Rock is a picturesque village of less than 100 residents situated on a bluff along the Missouri River.  

 

This little village has been designated a National Historic Landmark recognizing the association with Westward Expansion, the Santa Fe Trail, and artist George Caleb Bingham.  The town has a few restaurants, the Arrow Rock Tavern in the first photo serves country-style meals and has a ballroom upstairs.  There are several bed and breakfasts in the village, and shops showcasing antiques, gifts, and old time crafts.  But no gas station!  I couldn't help but wonder how many people come into Arrow Rock hoping to be able to fill their gas tanks before leaving. 

 I'm not sure if this is a real bank or not!  I played with this photo and used a water color effect.  You probably have noticed that the sidewalk along the store fronts is really a boardwalk.

 A one-man jail.

Arrow Rock is also home to the Lyceum Theatre,

Missouri's oldest regional professional theater.  

Another look at the Lyceum Theatre.  I wish I could say I've been to a play there, but that's on my bucket list.  

This beautiful old house is seen just down the street from the boardwalk shops.  I used the water color effect on this photo.  Below is another shot of the house. 

I'd love to see the inside of this beauty.  

Arrow Rock has several things going on throughout the year to draw tourists, one of them being the 43rd Annual Heritage Craft Festival which was held this past weekend.  This festival features old time crafts by artisans dressed in period costume.  It is a fun event that we've been to several times in past years.  

I had several other photos, but many of them have a spot that I discovered after taking several.  You may have noticed one in the first photo.  Turns out it was a smudge on my lens that was easily fixed, but time was running short and I didn't retake photos.  Not that the town was that busy.  I think there may have been 4 or 5 other cars seen.  This small village has 45 full time and 33 part-time residents.  There are also many interesting old homes to see in Arrow Rock and I enjoyed my little visit.

Until next time...

The weekend

Last week I mentioned a possible little getaway.  This past Saturday, we woke up to this nice sunrise (pretend you don't see the utility lines, okay?) and packed our bag for the weekend.  We hopped into the car and away we went! 

 
If you can see the number on the green highway sign or recognize the area, you will know where we were headed.  Branson again!  Yes, we love Branson.  We were only there a short time, we didn't do a lot.  We went to the Landing and had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.   The drive itself was nice and we admired the scenery and the changes in color of the trees.

This beautiful golf resort is in Branson.  Do you play golf?  Hubby and I don't, but sometimes wish we did when we see these beautiful golf courses.  

I didn't take many photos this trip.  It was short and sweet.  Just a little getaway and I didn't want to spend our few hours behind a camera.   I always see something new each time we go to Branson, usually a little shop that I haven't been in.  So I make a mental note to remember for future, longer visits.   The weather was great and we enjoyed our little trip.  I'm curious, do you like weekend trips or do you have to have more time? 

Until next time...

A floral mosaic

My Knockout roses are blooming their little hearts out now.  Some of my other flowers are still looking pretty good.  I've mostly let my pots go...frankly, I just got tired of watering.  I really haven't watered these in the ground much lately, and as dry as it's been, I'm surprised they are doing so well.  The Knockout you see in the mosaic is one I planted in the middle of summer.  The colder weather with the killing frost is coming, I know.  I am enjoying these every day that I have them.   Hope your week ahead is a good one. 

Until next time...

Barn charm

On one of my day jaunts a week or so ago, I came upon this charmer.  Of course, I just happened to have my camera with me and took it's picture.  The old barns with a quilt pattern haven't been around all that long in our area.  I took a few photos of other barn quilts last year and if you would like to see them, you can find them here. 

This nice old barn is just a short distance down the highway from the red barn.  I wondered if perhaps they belonged to the same farmer.  It looks deserving of a quilt, too.  I took the liberty of straightening this one.  The barn looked like it sits a bit crooked otherwise. 

Thanks for all your well wishes this week, I'm feeling much better now!  I hope to get out this weekend and enjoy this beautiful weather we've been having.  We have tentative plans for a little jaunt.  I'll tell you about it later!   Have a wonderful weekend.

Until next time...

Giant Swallowtail

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond.
~Irish Blessing

I took several photos of this fluttering-a-mile-a-minute Giant Swallowtail just a few days ago.  I was trying to get a spread wing shot, but he flew off before I could capture a very good one.  This one is the best of the bunch, isn't he handsome?

I don't have much to say other than I've been under the weather since late Sunday night.  Nothing bad, just a virus that makes you think you'll never feel good ever again.  Don't ya hate when that happens?  I certainly do!  But I'm getting better and will try to get a better post up next time.  Hope you all are well and enjoying beautiful fall weather this week.  I don't say this often enough, but Thank You so much for all of your nice comments here at TFD!  See you soon. 

Until next time... 

What a difference a day makes...

I hope your first weekend of October was as

gorgeous as ours was.  It has been sunny and 

pleasant for the past week and this weekend

was perfect.  The trees are changing color every day now.

Just a week ago, I was outside walking the path down 

by the woods.  I snapped a pic of the ash tree showing

off it's fall finery.  The trees to the right were just turning

slightly and I didn't see any hint of the red.  

Look at the change in the trees in just a week.

   Here's another look using the zoom.

  The color in this photo isn't quite right because of the sun.  

I've noticed a lot of this vine in the trees this year 

and I'm not real sure what this is, but the brilliant

red leaves are quite beautiful.

 The weather has been wonderful but we could use

some rain.  See how the lake has dropped.  Our

pond is down about 3 feet.  We don't dare burn

anything in our pasture.  

 While we were out and about Sunday, we saw what looked

like a grass fire a mile or two away.   As you can see by 

the pasture, it is very dry right now and fires are easily started.

This is the same scene without the closeup of the smoke you

can barely see in the upper right horizon. 
  I've had a ball playing with the zoom on my camera
  lately.  I remember the old 35 mm SLR camera I had and
  needed to switch lenses out when I wanted a closer shot.

   I got some nice pix but I'm glad I have this one.
  There is still much to be learned even though

I've been taking pix since I ordered my first Brownie 

camera from the back of a cereal box such a long time ago.
  

These beauties were all green a week ago.
How quickly the colors change!

"Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn."

~Elizabeth Lawrence

Until next time...