Happy Thanksgiving 2015

Oh, how grateful we must be to be alive and healthy on 

Thanksgiving Day, 2015. 

Brother Pete was not tip-top today when my sister-in-law

Marybeth (left)  and I got there to see him. 

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch with him and those residents 

who were still there at noon; many had gone out with their families. 

Pete is holding his foot pad, if you are wondering.  

Marybeth and I were happy to eat lunch after we fed him... it was 

delicious, too, and if this is how the residents are eating, 

we both approve! 

Keith and I enjoyed dinner together about 5... out.... because he 

had been gone all day.  We met and enjoyed a buffet 

dinner, and I had some of my favorite flan for dessert. 

YUM. 

It has rained all day here in Leavenworth County, 

and we plunged from 64 this morning to 36 right now. 

This was the Kansas City Star this morning. 

In 45 years of subscribing, I don't ever remember a 

Thanksgiving Day with so many ads that it took 

TWO plastic bags to deliver our paper this 

morning. 

Even without doing Black Friday shopping... I LOVE to sit at the 

table and look at the ads!  

I wish I had a nice picture of Keith to show you... but he is 

sound asleep already.  

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and thank 

you all for the nice comments about our pictures this week. 

Long Time No Post

We have had quite the weekend here in Leavenworth County, 

and I have not posted for several days now. 

It has been unseasonably VERY Cold, and 

we have had record-breaking low temps for the last week. 

NOT as bad as Buffalo, Thank God. 

Monday, I ran up to pick up my sister in law, and we went to visit 

my brother Pete.  This is the best picture of the group I took... he 

has broken his upper left arm in a fall.  He has become very, very frail 

in the last month, and is almost unable to communicate at this point. 

Yes, it hurts to see him like this... but he's my brother. 

He was the funniest, goofiest kid when he was younger...

was a teacher, and a fireman... and had a bug-control company on the side.
It's hard to see him like this.  

Yesterday was the FIRST time Keith has gone 

under an anesthetic for surgery!  I did not know this about my husband... 

and he had his permanent "fistula" connection implanted in 

his upper right arm.  He was anesthetized for the surgery, but he 

did not tell me until this morning that he has never had that 

happen before!  

Prior to going into the operating suite. 

Smiling. 

Six hours later.  No, the surgery was only an hour or so, but we were there 

all day.  He had to go to recovery... and did not go under the knife until 3:25. 

I freaked out, see his hands?  One was very, very pale, and one was dark and 

discolored. 

I asked the nurse... and then breathed a sigh of relief because the hand on the 

left here... the hand where the device was implanted on the arm... has betadine on it. 

He was still pale, and he did not feel a bit good. 

He's better today, but is sleeping as I type this.  He did go to 

dialysis this morning. 

I did not go out to the old place over the weekend, and agonized about the waterer on the porch there.  You see... the wild birds still use it.  I  knew it had frozen solid, but it was just so cold I couldn't go out.  I've become a wimp. 

I was delighted to see that it had started thawing, so any bird trying to drink would have been able to do so. 

I think I've thought of a solution for this problem, but I will show you in a few days. 

The dogs were in for four days, except for jaunts around the yard... so they were more than happy to get out there this morning. 

While I fooled around with the water fortex, the dogs disappeared into the pasture. 

I had to go in search of Lil, and finally saw her tale wagging at the brush pile, where Troy had cut the tree up.  She was pointing at something... I suspect mice. 

She was pretty intent on the search. 

Jester started looking, too. 

And for once, Lil did not go after him to warn him away. 

I took him away, though, after a while, because I worry about his getting his 

extruding eyes hurt with the branches. 

I took him in the old henhouse, and he was looking around carefully... I can't tell if the mice are still living in there, it is so quiet and empty. 

He could hear the pophole banging in the wind, and he kept stopping to watch it. 

I would have loved to see him around the chickens. 

Everything has died in the intense cold.  These were the big orange zinnias. 

I'm going to save a bunch of those seeds. 

In the monarda patch. 

(but not monarda!) 

Where "The Tree" was.  Now a sere, cold landscape in a week. 

Friend Jill is of the opinion that this is a young redtail hawk... and I think redtail or 

red-shoulder... juvenile.  He was perched on a pole on our way to the farm... 

and happily, was on the same pole on the way back! 

I stopped in the middle of the lane... no one was coming... and shot some pictures.  Jill suggested switching to black and white the next time so I get the detail in the cloudy day... and I will. 

Black and white would have shown you those hawk eyes better. 

A car pulled to a stop on the cross-road (gravel) and he flew off, but I suspect not far. 

I'm going to look for him again. 

You can see it was windy! 

Here's Jester, all-excited, getting ready to run down to the pasture after we got out of the car.  

We'll be back to our regular "programming" the rest of the week. 

A Clean-up Day

There's Brandon, my nephew, working on the caulking of the house this morning. 

He got there at 4:30, and did the whole exterior. 

See that pile growing behind him? 

Grandson Jacob and I got there, and drove over to the storage buildings and 

the shop, and began loading out debris. We loaded the car 

and drove it around to where the trailer was going to be parked. 

We filled this dump trailer... filled.  There is still stuff to throw away, but not near what there was. All the construction and demolition materials are now gone. 

Papaw was not feeling right, so he got to hold Baby Carson. 

While Big Brother Jace picked up a LOT of worms from where 

a pile of wood had been sitting.  He and his daddy are going to go 

fishing with them. 

Papaw gave him his tackle box. 

Keith's youngest daughter Amber took over Carson duties... 

and helped husband Jesse get the tarp over the trailer. 

Notice the Royals outfits???  

Keith supervised.  

We had a gorgeous day for it. 

There is supposed to be rain again tomorrow and Monday.  See the water standing in the driveway? 

Weeds coming up through the mulch.  I am going to go out to the middle of the pasture and 

SCREAM. 

Jacob and I grimaced... and frankly, I'm going to rake the mulch aside and dig up this area and try again to get the weeds out. 

If I have to, I'll get more mulch at the end of the month and we'll put another inch on 

the darn beds. 

Here's something I miss so badly... I have only seen geese over here at the new house ONCE since we moved here... we are not in the flyway like we were at the old place. 

These were honking loudly enough that I looked up. 

When I dropped Jacob off at home, I found Paiton and Jax busy in the kitchen. 

You see... Jax turned seven yesterday, and Paiton will turn six on Monday. 

They are one year and three days apart in age. 

Their birthday party is tomorrow afternoon. 

Paiton did not play with dolls as a little girl, but asked her parents for a doll house. 

Jim put this together for her... it is hidden in big sister Madison's bedroom. 

Her eyes are going to widen out of her head when she sees it tomorrow! 

Jim and Amy got Jax a special bat from a sports store... he has wanted it for months, and 

doesn't know it is coming. 

I'll be at church tonight, as I am signed up to work our annual turkey dinner at church 

tomorrow morning on the early shift... 8 to 10:30 AM, preparing turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, green beans, rolls and cranberry sauce for the turkey dinner/bazaar tomorrow.  

Depending on the time the party starts... I'll get a turkey dinner for Keith and me to share... and then drop it at home on my way to the party. 

Now that the house is all caulked on the outside, Keith will tape the windows and start the painting. 

Then comes the deck railing, while I work inside.  Brandon will also come back in a week or so and hang the outside trim. 

We're getting so much closer! 

I still have stuff to move out of the big storage building and the shop... but not that much. 

We need to make some decisions about the contents left in the shop... donations and possible things to sell at the auction on Thanksgiving weekend. 

I'll work on moving those last things this week, and putting them away right away when I get them here.  No more clutter in the garage!!! 

I guess everyone is aware the Kansas City Royals pulled another one off last night, and won 

game one of their series with Baltimore. 

Keith is out doing an errand right now so he can come home and watch the game in peace and quiet this afternoon.... and the whole metropolitan area is alive with Royals Fever. 

I thought you might be interested in seeing what I just paid for gas about an hour ago: 

That's 2.91 for regular... incredible!  

And last... here's my big brother Pete yesterday.. he is looking SO GOOD!  For the first time 

in months, he was able to have a simple conversation... he can't really "talk" anymore... the way we used to visit... but he was able to converse about some simple things.  He is getting along so well at the new nursing home, and I couldn't be happier (unless it would be to see him with no dementia and at home!).... and I'm SO glad for him.  

I am trying to think of things to do to enrich the folks at this nursing home... he lives in a special area with folks who are wanderers, and would get out if they are not restricted to that area of the building.  I am trying to put songs on a CD for them from the 50's and 60's, and I'm going to donate my mom's old boom box for them to play music in the dayroom.  I have some other schemes too, that I'm working on.  More about that as they get closer. 

I hope everyone is having a beautiful October weekend! 

100 Years Young

Today is my beautiful mother's 100th birthday! 

Though she left us 6 years ago next month, 

she lives on in our hearts.  My brother Mike, on the left, is gone now, too... 

and Pete is holding on in the nursing home.  I forgot to remind him today when 

I went to see him that it was mom's birthday, how stupid of me! 

This picture was taken while my dad was away in the Navy in 

World War II, for him to remember his family while he was out on the sea. 

Look who is making frequent visits to our yard, in fact, twice today: 

I say it's an adult Coopers Hawk?  Anyone think it's a Sharp-Shinned? 

Keith is worried because he came here twice today (and has come several times before) ... and we don't want him to 

go after Jester.  My guess is he's trying to pick off birds at the feeders. 

Keith also doesn't want owls to start coming, but the little birds will be gone when they are hunting. 

I've been going by these old barns almost daily, there is another, larger old barn behind them.  I don't want the people who live there to think I am stalking them, when I am really just stalking their barns. 

Guess who got to go see Dr Tom today?  He had his nails clipped, and 

is now scheduled for his neutering and full panel of shots on the 25th.  He looks to be in excellent health, and we found out his whelping date was December 6, 2011, so he will be three years old this year. 

Lilly is slowly, slowly, coming around.  

Brother Pete was looking good today, and even though I am no longer a good highway driver... it was so good to sit and visit with him for a while.  I just can't believe I forgot to remind him of mother's birthday! 

Everywhere we go in Leavenworth County, this is the site we see.  It was a banner year for hay, and I hope all of our friends are able to get enough to take their animals through the winter.  I know a friend at church told me they must have 2200 bales, large and small, to feed during the winter... GOSH... I'm so glad we never had to worry about that much hay! 

I hope you who need to get your hay in are having dry weather and not too hot weather at that!

Bits and Pieces on Wednesday

Miss "yesterday's post was all about me"  when we got home from 

our walk last night. 

A last look at the gorgeous Mia, who won two classes at the 

AKC show last weekend.  

They will all be leaving on Friday. 

The Birdbath That Fell on Austin. 

You notice it is not on its' plinth. 

It's staying on the ground, it's too heavy to be in a yard where kids will be playing. 

We are grateful to Valerie for it... and for the six or seven planters she also gave us!

I spent some time with Brother Pete this morning... 

and I need to say here that all his clothes from his previous 

nursing home disappeared when he went in the hospital. 

I am slowly getting him new clothes, so dropped off a bunch this morning

Now his shoes are gone. 

I ran in the Michael's up by where Pete's nursing home is to get a puffy paint pen 

to mark the clothes better... so this is a gratuitous fall foliage picture. 

Yes, things found their way into my basket! 

I took a different exit from the highway coming home, and finally found a road I KNEW connected to 7 highway so I could go to the grocery on the way home.  They were working on the road, and here let me 

say that we have never lived anywhere where the roads are taken care of like they are here in Leavenworth County.  I stopped to talk to two of the workers (way behind this) and we had a nice visit. 

The countryside over there is gorgeous, too... the problem there is that there is nowhere to pull off and take pictures. 

Keith, one of these MUST come home for our porch  and I'll put a battery-operated candle in it!

That's an inspirational planting of angelonia at the nursing home.  

Love it! 

Last night's sunset...

And this morning.  I prayed we would get rain... and there ARE some chances... but 

it is full on sun right now. 

That's it for today... Lilly and I have a destiny at the park! 

Easter Monday

My friends, Keith and I are down with spring colds that have hit with a 

vengeance.  Keith has more upper respitory... my voice is gone, and 

I'm sneezing to beat the band.  We had a very quiet Easter, and we hope you did, too. 

Except for going to church in the morning, I spent the day inside, cooking and visiting and

then running out to close the birds up. 

Look whom we got to see for Easter... my brother Pete.  He was sprung from the nursing home by my sister in law, and they came out to see the new house and have some dessert with us.  He has slipped a little farther away... but when I told him we were eating at our family table, he perked up, and he easily recognized our mother, our brother Mike, and himself, in an old picture.  

He's still in there, somewhere. 

And yes, as you can see... we have NO FURNITURE IN THE LIVING ROOM.  Yet.  

One thing at a time. 

This very unlikely sight greeted me last night in the old henhouse.  Those are the porcelains, up on the closet! 

I looked around and realized the old Japanese birds were OUTSIDE!

All three roosters and the little hen were out... and wanted out in the pasture very badly.  Unfortunately, I was flagging and it was late in the day.  I decided, finally, to leave the pophole open for them, and went home. 

I find this so interesting... grass, and weeds, are now taking over the little red henhouse yard, called the "little henyard".  I'll actually have to mow in there in a while. 

It's because there are no longer any birds on this yard... the seven left have access to it, but rarely go over there. 

This morning I opened the gate to the pasture so that everyone could go out if they want. 

After showing you how Fluffernut and April were laying on the floor on Saturday....

I found their eggs in the nestbox yesterday. 

And the three chickens who are left in the henspa... were let out into the yard this morning, so they could eat some green stuff.  See the moss trying to grow in there? 

This beautiful tree... is it a weeping cherry?... is just outside our back door at the new house. 

As I was on my way to the old place, I saw these guys sitting in a tree by the road. 

Underneath them was ONE dead skunk. 

On the way back, this guy had won out, and the others were all gone.  The skunk was almost gone too.  What a wonderful system to use to clean up dead animals... the ecosystem just works great, doesn't it?  I love these birds, even the ones who got my chickens last summer! 

I'm going to stop now and take a little nap, and try to get over this stuff we have.  Keith has had to take a day off too, and is already asleep.  We are trying not to talk, since my voice is almost gone. 

I hope everyone has a great start to their week!

Oh... and a short Abby update... 

We are stunned and thankful that she is so much better in a short time.  I have learned to give the shots... and she is feeling a LOT better, the frenetic behavior has stopped and we know now she must have been in pain for months.  We are not over the hump, but we are on a new road to good health for our little girl. 

Thanks for all your kind thoughts for her!