Ripples

This sunset photo was taken last week.  There was a nice breeze blowing which created a ripple effect on the lake which marred the reflection in the water.  It got me to thinking about the ripple effect of words spoken or written.  A careless word tossed out can create a ripple of hurt that is often not intended, but once said it can cause hurt feelings or heartache.  Likewise, a kind word spoken or written can bring joy and comfort which can last for some time.

The comments I received on my post written for Kris were so kind and I thank you all so much!  The feature was fun to do, but at the same time a bit scary as I'm not one to talk about myself too much.

But, those ripple effects of kindness have carried me through the past 48 or so hours as I've been really sick with some kind of virus.  I've had fever, chills, sore throat, headache and stomach cramps.  I have been fortunate not to get very sick the past few years, so this hasn't been much fun.  My head has been so befuddled that I barely know what day it is.  The worst is over now, I think, and I'll catch up with everyone as soon as I can! 

PS  To my new followers:  please leave me a comment with a link to your blog and I'll be happy to follow you back.  Thanks!

Happy Tuesday to you!
xo Cheryl

Featured at Saturday Spotlight

Hello everyone!

I mentioned in my last post that I had a special announcement 

for today's post.  When Kris from Junk Chic Cottage asked me if I would like 

to be featured in her Saturday Spotlight:  Life Behind

the Blogger series, I was surprised but pleased and found myself saying Yes! 

all the while wondering what I could say about myself that 

I haven't already said.  Well, there might be a tidbit or two 

in the post that I haven't yet revealed until now!

 So, for today's post, please go visit Junk Chic Cottage here 

and see what I have to say.  Also, while you are there, check

out Kris' lovely blog if you haven't already met her.

Thanks again, Kris, for featuring my blog today!

 

Have a wonderful day! 

 

xo Cheryl 

Beautiful Fall Days

"We are in for a spell of perfect weather now,

every day luminous, every night brimmed

with stars.  Picnics at noon, supper by the

applewood fire at night, a walk in the cool

moonlight before bed."

   ~Gladys Taber

Our weather has been beautiful, but still very warm here.  In fact, so warm that I hesitate to buy pumpkins to decorate the front porch.  I'm afraid that they won't last but a few days.  So, I think I'll wait a bit longer.  Surely it will cool down soon.

I haven't bought anything new this fall as far as fall decor goes for the house.  I did find some new glassware at a flea market last week.  One of the six I bought is in the middle row on the right.  I didn't have anything in that amber color and the set was 50% off, so I swooped them right up and off to the checkout I went!  They will be pretty for a fall table setting if I ever get myself in gear and have some friends over for dinner.  We've been so busy every weekend that having company has been the furthest thing from my mind.  

The little plates with the pumpkins are another purchase I made.  They came from Wal-you-know-where and were less than 3 dollars a plate. 

I also had to buy some caramel apples just for me.  I love 'em!  When it cools down a bit, I will be making some apple bread.   

Also, as soon as it gets cooler, I will be making soup.  I love soup, but don't usually make it in hot weather.  When we were in Branson and went to the Dixie Stampede where they serve dinner with the show, one of the courses was a delicious creamy vegetable soup.  I found a copycat recipe and I will be trying it out.  Have you heard of it?  Oh, it's so good.

I have a special announcement for Saturday's post, so I hope you'll stop by and see what that is all about.  Hope to see you then!

Happy Friday to you!

xo Cheryl

Weekend Adventures

We had such an exciting weekend that I'm sure you will be perfectly envious when you read about it.  lol!  After a late breakfast Saturday, BG and I hopped...no, that's an exaggeration on my part...slowly climbed into the truck and headed off to the home center in the Big Town for some more drywall and electrical supplies.  Along with a few other things BG needed. 

We had some questions and waiting for anyone to show up to help us took some time.  Lots of folks there that day.  We spent a good 3 hours or more there. 

By the time we were finished and ran by another store, we were hungry again.  He told me it was my turn to choose where we ate, so I chose the Golden Corral.  Remind me to not do that again.  There is too much food there to tempt a weak person like myself.  What I chose was very good.  Fried fish with lots of veggies and one of their yummy rolls.  I skipped dessert, although the chocolate covered strawberries were very tempting.

On the way home, both of us talked about how much we hate walking around those huge stores on concrete and how much our backs were hurting.
 

It was late afternoon when we got home and the first thing we noticed in the house was that it was too warm.  After checking the a/c we looked at the vent and saw that the coil was frozen over on the fan up in the attic.  A quick call to a friend who works with air/heating units was made and he suggested we just leave the fan running all night and see what happened.  I have to admit the a/c filter was very dirty and that seemed to be what the problem was.   Everything was fine the next morning when we turned the a/c back on.  Lesson No. 1 learned was not to let too much time lapse between filter cleanings.   

After we got a floor fan out to help keep cool, I noticed our kitty, Sissy, wanted to go outside.  She is the only one we trust to let outside as she almost always comes to the door after a short time and rattles the door knob signaling us that she wants back inside.  Well, this time she didn't come to the door.  I was sitting with my feet up and my bad ankle throbbing from the day spent walking all over the home center and the last thing I wanted was to have to keep looking for Sissy. 

I decided to sleep on the couch and hope to hear Sissy rattling the door knob before too late in the night.  She can't meow very loud and most of the time just moves her mouth and doesn't make a sound.  I found myself getting up throughout the night and going outside to call to her to come inside.  No luck.
 

BG found Sissy the next morning.  She had had her Big Adventure and was ready to come back inside.  Probably because she was hungry!  Lesson No. 2 learned was to not let her go outside that late in the day ever again.

Today is almost over as I write this.  It has been another one of those days.  I had to scrub the kitchen floor because someone tracked some unknown substance all over it.  It was bad enough that I scrubbed it twice.  I vacuumed the house as well as scrubbed the kitchen and bath.  Maybe tomorrow I will get some fall decorating done.  Fall officially begins this Wednesday!

Happy Monday/Tuesday to you!
xo Cheryl

Wednesday Bits 'n Bobs

Fall is on the way, but you wouldn't know it to look in my house.  Not one fall vignette yet in sight.  I bought a new magazine that's full of autumn eye candy to  read while we were on vacation.  It has lots of beautiful fall pages and I've looked at them again.  It has got me thinking about bringing up my boxes of fall things from the storage room.  I did buy a couple of new fall things on my last trip to the Big Town, but they were more for setting the table.  When I get them unwrapped and washed, I'll try to get a photo to share.   

Is it just me or is anyone else noticing that blogging has slowed down for many bloggers?  I'll include myself in the slow lane.  It was a busy summer and I look for a busy fall as well.  Actually, it is not so much that I'm busier than ever but slower than ever.  It takes me longer to accomplish what I used to be able to do in half the time.  Maybe a few of you can relate?  Have I said this before?  I believe I have.  lol!

I also got a book read while on vacation.  Diana of Nana Diana Takes a Break blog has written her very first book, The Mystery of Lucy and the Dark Woods.  I had a copy for quite a while, but never seemed to get time to read it.  I just knew that once I started it that I wouldn't be able to put it down until I was finished and I was right.  It is a very good book for a first time author.  I loved it!

 
It has come to my attention that Rainie and Rambo are both boys.  Not a boy and girl as originally thought.  It's not that easy to tell when they are very young, but having looked a bit closer now it is obvious I was in error.  New name for Rainie...Romeo.  They are both such loving little guys that they could both be called by that name!  I rarely sit down with the laptop without having one of them jumping onto my lap.  I'm still hoping to find a home for them.  The photo here is an older one, so they are actually bigger now.  It's hard to get a good shot of them because of their color.

The presidential candidates are nothing if not good for a few laughs this September.  I nearly spit out my iced tea the other day when I read what Bobby Jindal said about Donald Trump's hair.  That it looks like a squirrel is sitting on top of his head.  lol!

I don't like to post and run, but I have to make a little run to the Big Town this afternoon, so I'll be visiting tonight.  Well, after I've checked in to see if that really looks like a squirrel on top of a certain head that will be debating tonight.  :)  This promises to be an entertaining debate whether you have an R or a D beside your name.  Will you be watching?


Happy Wednesday to you!
xo Cheryl

I Love This Place

Today I thought I'd share a little about our Branson vacation.  The view from our deck that BG is looking at isn't quite as far away as it appears in the photo. 

Lots of folks say they don't like to go to Branson because of the crowds of people.  I'm not into crowds, either, but I just love this area too much to let that bother me.  The scenery is beautiful and the people are so friendly here.  There are any number of things to do if we decide to leave our beautiful condo and of course there are a gazillion places to eat if you don't want to fix your own meals.

  
It's all about the food...when I'm away from home.  And there are certain things I just have to have everytime we go to Branson.  One is a yummy old-fashioned chocolate soda at the Hard Luck Diner where they have singing waiters.  Another is a fish sandwich at Danna's.  And I love the skillet bowls at Silver Dollar City.

I don't have a photo, but we also ate dinner at another favorite place, Shorty Small's.  They have the best bbq ribs I've ever eaten! 

 
Most mornings I fixed breakfast at the condo, but one morning we drove to Billy Gail's.  I had heard about this place, but in all the years we've been going to Branson, we'd never been there.  Boy, have we been missing out!  This is such a cool place!  It was a gas station at one time and they've added on to it.  The rustic look inside and out is just what I love.  Apparently a lot of other people love it, too, because there was a bit of a wait to get in.  

The food was excellent and the prices are very reasonable.  We ordered a pancake besides the usual bacon and eggs...sausage for BG...to split between us and it was bigger than the plate.

 
Another great meal was during a show at the Dixie Stampede.  It was more than I could eat! 

If you are in Branson and want to see a good show, this one is excellent.  Upon arriving, you walk past the beautiful horses in their stalls and enter the building to watch the Carriage show before the main show in the arena where you are also served a 4 course meal.  Fun!

We have season tickets to Silver Dollar City and always visit there each time we go to Branson.  We were greeted by roosters and chickens and lots of flowers were still blooming, and they were beginning to decorate for fall.

  
We always stop in at the Wilderness Church.  There's BG checking out the pews.  It was going to be a hot day, but it was cool inside the church.

A group we enjoy seeing each visit is called the Homestead Pickers.  They were playing in the pavilion this trip.  

Here is a look at the kitchen in the condo where we stayed.  I didn't do a lot of cooking, mainly breakfasts.  Who wants to cook on vacation?  Actually it was fun to cook in a different kitchen for a change.       


I hope you enjoyed my little tour of Branson as much as I enjoyed looking at my photos to share with you, while remembering the fun and relaxing time we had there.  

There are lots of things we want to get done before the snow starts to fly this winter.  Now that we are rested up, it's time to get busy again.  

We've had a few little showers since we've been home.  The run to the home center had to be canceled because it rained.  We were going to get some more sheets of drywall and a few other things needed to work at the other house.  I'm going to start on a few things here at home as soon as I shake loose a few kitties that missed me.  They have followed me from room to room.  It's nice to feel so loved.  lol!

Happy Thursday to you!
xo Cheryl

We're Back From Vacation!

Hello all!  And happy September!  As some of you probably guessed, we went to Branson this year for our vacation.  BG has been working very hard this summer and neither of us really wanted to make a long drive out west like we originally planned.  Branson is 4 hours away and that was far enough! 

We both loved just relaxing at the condo and watching sunrises from our deck like the one above.  This particular sunrise came up on September 2 which was BG's birthday.  

I'll share more about our trip in my next post.  BG is still on vacation today and we're leaving soon to go to the home center for a few things.  I just wanted to pop in to say I'm home again and I hope to visit everyone soon. 

It was a wonderful vacation, but there's no place like home!

Happy Tuesday to you!
xo Cheryl  

I'll Be Back!

I am going to take a little break from the computer for a few days.  Enjoy these remaining summer days....see you soon!

Comments are off...just wanted to let you know I'll be away for a while.

xo Cheryl

A Recent Day Trip

The hubby and I took a little road trip to Sedalia, home of the Missouri State Fair on opening day, Aug. 13.  It was a bright, sunny, and HOT day.

We only go to the fair about every 5 years or so and most likely wouldn't have gone this year except I had read where there was going to be an interesting exhibit that I wanted to see. 

  
We also got to see several of the beautiful Clydesdales.  They had the cleanest stalls and each one had their own fan hanging above to keep them cool. 

There were decorated cakes galore in the 4-H building.

Beautiful quilts.  This one got the first place, best of show ribbon. 

 
A beautiful owl was part of the exhibit I wanted to see.  Did you know an owl can hear a snake slithering on the ground many feet away?  Or that they can hear their prey through a foot or more of snow?  

And here is what I walked miles (it seemed) in the heat and humidity to see...

Isn't she beautiful?

I love bald eagles and it's a thrill to know that we have a few nesting not far from us near a lake.  I was so glad to get this chance to see one up close.  This eagle is 26 years old and I learned that they can live to around 50 years of age in captivity.  Their wing span is about 8 feet from tip to tip.  And they can grip up to 2000 pounds!  I can see why their prey doesn't stand a chance when those talons dig in!  

It was a fun day trip in spite of the heat.  We, of course, had the wonderful fresh lemonade that is for sale everywhere you turn.  Food stands offer everything from cotton candy to corn dogs to homemade ice cream.  We had to partake of the latter and it was so good!  We found a shady spot to sit and enjoyed people-watching as we ate our ice cream.  A good day at the fair was had, but as we left for home, we were glad to be inside a car with nice, cool air!

Happy Monday to you!
xo Cheryl

*I corrected the date.  It should be Aug. 13, not Sept.b 13.  I was getting ahead of myself!  

A Before and After and Surprise!

Before I get to my news, I want to say that I think that this has been the fastest summer ever.  Do you agree?  Time gets away, days pass, and before I know it...a week is gone.  Soon it will be time to turn the calendar again.  School has started for many.  It has in my community.  Slow down time!  As much as I love fall, I'm just not ready to let summer go quite yet.  I have flowers to enjoy.  Maybe not quite as many as in the beginning of the season.  Some have given up fighting for their lives in the heat of summer.  I also have more patio sitting to do and stars to watch on a summer's night and I want to wear my sandals and capris a while longer.  

The days have passed by so fast that I really haven't noticed that we didn't get very far from home this summer.  We did take a day off last week and traveled not too far to see something very exciting.  To me, at least.  I'll share that story in another post.  


But now, for my big news....we finally have a bathroom that is mostly finished at The Project!  

Here is the Before and After....

                                    
Everything was taken out and a subfloor put down with new flooring on top.  The new stool, as you can see, was put in on the other side to make a wee bit more room as this is a very small bathroom.  A new tub and shower surround was put in, also a new vanity, and some of the walls were replaced with new drywall and the rest skim coated and sanded down prior to painting.  The window was replaced earlier.  All that remains to be done, besides decorating and hanging a shower curtain, etc, is a little trim work and caulking.  If we decide to put up some crown molding, that will be done later.

Through the window in the bathroom, you can see the door that goes into the spare room off the deck.  The deck should be finished this week, weather permitting.  It is raining as I write this.  

The new roof is finished over the deck and spare room.  A wall which was partially removed in the kitchen to get the tub into the bathroom has been replaced and is ready for painting.  

We have a lots of things yet to do.  Those little things that take time, but we are getting there!  The wiring that needs to be done will be the biggest challenge for BG.  He'll also redo the closet in the spare room now that the new roof is on and there should be no more leaks. 

The rest of the rooms need painting and the hardwood floors are going to get sanded and we'll then make a decision as to whether we need to put in some carpet.  

It's exciting to see some results of all that planning, work and time spent looking for things we bought for the house last year!  I think I spend 3/4 of my life looking for stuff.  Neither one of us can remember where we put things.  lol!  Does that happen to you?  

And just to make life even more interesting...guess what we found?  I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.  

In the end, I had to smile.  They are just so darn cute.

Yes, the neighborhood momma has done it again.  Brought us some kittens.  Eight kittens.  That's right.  Eight little cutie pies.  Two are calicos, two are diluted calicos, two are black with white paws and a little white on their noses.  The other two are a gray and a gray and white.  

Momma is really proud of herself.  She was caught and we rounded up all the kittens, which were hidden back in some vines.  We took them to The Project and put them in an empty bedroom with all the amenities a cat would need.  The kittens will be tamed and when they are old enough to be weaned, we will take momma kitty to get fixed.  No more surprises!  I just hope we can find homes for all the kittens.

I hope you are enjoying these last days of summer.  Many are taking blog breaks this month and I have certainly slowed down on blogging myself.  Hope to get back to visiting more regularly soon! 

Happy Tuesday to you!
xo Cheryl