John McCellan

I am reading a new biography of John McCellan.  I finished the book Fleta recommended a "On Gold Mountain".  I really enjoyed it.  After over 65 years of knowing each other, we each know what the other will like.  I sure enjoyed the book and tried to read it slowly.  I think it is interesting that Lisa See discovered that all the things she was told about her white relatives were not facts.  A cache of letters written to her Great Grandmother were shown to her after the book.  The letters expressed "love for a sister" not contempt for who she chose to marry.

Finding good non fiction books is not easy.  I did not walk today.  It is cool and I could go now.  Who knows!

I am rounding up things to pawn off on my baby sister when I come up to see her in October.  I am going to bring lots of stuff that I can't throw away in hopes she can use it or she can discard it.  One thing she wanted was old newspapers.  She uses them to clean windows.  I have a big sack.  I am bringing her tall Folgers' coffee cans, rat poison, pickle jars, an old porch swing, quilt freestanding rack, zip line, and I am continuing to look for things she might use that I just can't throw away.  Oh, another thing is a mop that you can put an old towel in like Momma used to do.  After you mop, you can throw the towel away.

My Momma made mopping a big job.  She used her left over wash water and scrubbed the floor.  After mopping, she always rinsed the floors.  Momma worked really hard all her life.  I am not like her.  I would rather just read a book.

Larry bought some pallet forks for the big tractor.  They work great for moving stuff from place to place.  He has dug out several pieces of farm equipment he does not use and is trying to sell it.  

Cooler Today

Ingrid was in the Homecoming parade...always smiling.  She has a volleyball game today.

I walked 3 1/4 miles.  It was much cooler.

Busy Weekend

 Greta stayed overnight with her friend, Emory.  It was her 6th birthday.  Greta will be 6 in October.

 Clayton is using his art talent.  Below is another run photo of Astrid.  A lady at the meet posted it on Facebook!

Running With Heart

 The Cyclone Cross Country Meet was today.  Above you see the High School girls lined up to run.  Astrid is near the bottom of the three white tents.  If you look closely you can see the top knot on her head.  The team she is on doesn't have many high school runners.  For a team to do well in cross country, I recall Coach T telling me they need to pack run.  That helps all the runners.  It is called runner support.  Next year, when the Jr High girls move up maybe they will have more good runners.  Above you can see the herd lined up....300 runners.

 Astrid is here at the beginning of the run.  She has to go out and pace herself against the field of top runners--alone!  She has no team to buoy her along the way.

 Here she is at the end of the run!  Exhausted I guess you can tell.  It was hot and a hard run.  She got 10th.

 Below she is receiving her medal from her Coach.  I think she did great today.  So proud of her.

And below Astrid before the football came last night!

M & M's

 I don't know what the day was at RMS but Sigrid and her friends dressed up like candy.

I walked 3 and a 1/4 miles yesterday and 3 today.  Tomorrow if I walk probably only 2 miles.  I know Fleta and my 2 girls are glad it is Friday.

Clayton Powell would be 72 tomorrow!  Wish he had not checked out so soon!

Two Hippies and One Pig Tail Girl

 Today was hippie day at Sig and Asti's schools.  They really are "hip".

This was on the share site the girl's use.  I love the yellow converse.  Ingrid is absolutely beautiful.   I took her lunch today--Pop Eye's chicken strips with two mashed potatoes and a biscuit.  She loves mashed potatoes.  Laura makes the girls pack their lunches, often Ingrid takes an empty lunch bag.   Laura says she is a little lazy about packing lunch.  Erin fixes the sandwiches for Clayton and Greta but they pack the rest.  Ingrid and Astrid have to wash their own clothes.  Sigrid still gets help from Mom.

Sigrid made the quiz bowl team.  I don't think the other two girls every tried out.  They always missed words on purpose so they would not have to be be in the spelling bee.  Quiz bowl is sort of like Jeopardy on tv but there is no board.  All the questions are asked and you buzz to answer.  After you buzz you may be able to consult your team, I am not sure of all the rules, but I am going to have Sigrid fill me in on it.  I think it would be fun.  Sigrid had all A's at 5 weeks.

Clayton and Greta and liking school just fine.  Erin and Greg are having to do some work on the new old house before they can move in.  They will probably get their old house approved for hud rental.   In October I plan to go up and see the new residence.  Larry went up this week and took some gun customers.  Larry bought a gun but Greg would only have him pay cost so they did not make any money off Larry.

Barnacle Boy and Barbie

 It is Book Character Day at Sigrid and Astrid's schools.  Astrid is Barnacle Boy from Sponge Bob and Sigrid is Barbie.

Sigrid makes a cute Barbie Doll!

 Ingrid's school is doing the character day later this year.  Who will she be?   She has a Volleyball game today that I will try to go see.  Below is from a recent football game.

All Star

Astrid is an All-State Athlete for 2015-2016!   She says..."Coach always spells my name wrong!".   Not many are All-State.  Astrid's is for her performance in Cross Country!

Oh, Dear, Deer!

Helen took this with her phone and sent it to me.  The little fawn on the right is a yard ornament that she found at a garage sale and repainted 'til they looked new.  Helen is good at painting this sort of thing.  But...the other two deer are real and they are checking out the fake deer.  Sort of neat.

Erin found this neat leaf in her new yard.  If she turned it over, it would be a v for victory.

This is Astrid in her last cross country run.  I love it that she is smiling.

Clayton when he came Saturday.  I keep nutella and he always wants a nutella sandwich on white bread.  I bought expensive potato bread and it had a dusting on the crust...Clayton said, "is that mold?"  So much for my high priced loaf of bread.

Greta Ann is welcoming me to come and see her at her new house.  The new house is old has lots of things that they will have to fix, but Greg is capable of doing lots.  It is a large nice home with a flat lot and I am proud for them.

Greta Ann is eating her cottage cheese with green and red sprinkles on top.  I don't buy cola and I keep those kool aid packs so they can have sweet drink when they come.

This is Siggie.  I got the picture off the site she uses.  She is growing up.  Her eyes are so pretty here.

Here is Ingrid and her pal at the fair.  They road the zipper Ingrid said.  I asked Sig if she went to the fair.  "No," she said, "it is nasty there.  The people there are mostly gross."  She added that if you rode rides there someone above you might throw up on you down below.  Sigrid is a different little girl.  She does not have the view point of most.  I think she usually makes a lot of sense!

Astrid is a Junior in High School.    She is thinking about what she will major in in college.  She has mentioned Parts and Rec and maybe be a park ranger.  I think it would be a perfect career for her.  She has lots of talents.  She is part of two different service groups.  One is with the Rotary Club.  They do projects during the year.  She is also in a group called the Crowns.  It is sponsored by the Jr. Auxiliary.  To be a part of it, the girls have to be invited.  She was and I know they will be pleased with her contribution of service!

Work Ahead

These are the colors Erin chose to paint.  She got her paint at Sherwin Williams.  I think the colors have a calming look.  She will have to paint wood work too.  Many of the rooms have cabinets in them.  Greg told her they would do one room at a time.  I think that is good advice.  The doors will also have to be painted.

Erin and the kids came today to visit.  I had to go to Kroger and pick up cottage cheese before they got here.    Greta loves cottage cheese and I have to put sprinkles on top.  It was nice to see them.  Greg worked all night and needed to sleep so they drove down to help fill up the day.

I went to walk today and got caught in a downpour.  After walking, I was going on to Kroger, but I had to come home and change clothes first.  Also was worried about my phone.  I took it out of the case and dried it good.  I put it in an "upper under garment" to help keep it dry.  I guess it worked just fine!

Larry and I get paid this Wednesday and it seems a long time ago in August that we got paid.  I think this is the latest in the month we ever get paid.  If the first is Tuesday, 3 weeks away would be the 21th.  So that is the late date payday for us.  If Wednesday is the first day of the month, payday for us is the 15th I think making it the earliest.  

I do know tomorrow is Monday and I don't have to go work tomorrow, Fleta!

Ingrid Rallies

 I know Ingrid does a "happy dance" at the pep rallies.  They had a big one yesterday.   Since she is captain of the Dance Team, I am sure she gets to help decide what they do and I know she picks what they wear.  She is number 12 on front row.

 She is standing to the left of this picture.

This is one of the dances the team did and it included football players.  There were other routines also.  I may share some of them later.   I am still going slowly with Nelly the Nerd Laptop, but I found that I can print screen and then paste the picture in paint.  Then crop and save and even save as.  Windows 10 does not like save as for some reason.  Also, I can use the photo program and do a few things to pictures.  I keep making the screen small by swapping something on the mouse pad.  I can't even figure out what I am doing....but I will keep working on it.

Ingrid looks like she is enjoying the dance with the guy here!

 Above is Ingrid with her friend Claire.  Claire is a cheerleader and a sweet girl.  She is a very good friend.   Claire's Mom and Laura were in the same class and were "sort of" friends.  They went to 1st through 12 grades together, but had different friends in High School.   Friends are important.  Mom tried to talk to me about friends and encouraged me to not hang with certain folks.   I did not like it but understand today.  Friends are a mirror of yourself.  Wonder what you are like ...if you have close friends they are usually very much like you.  But children choose to do what their friends do and that is why parents must monitor friends.

Below Clayton is asleep before 8 last night.  He is like his Gigi.  Greta, Erin said, was screaming at her because she had to turn in.  This morning I am sure Clayton was up and craving his breakfast and Greta was "a draggin'".

Fleta, hope you are noticing that I am learning.  I am not great with this ole Nelly but I am learning to "rope and ride" as I don't want to be afoot.  Some folks say why learn Windows 10,  well, that will be all there is one day!

Advice I saw this morning that I liked.  Use your pause button.  When you are mad--hit your pause.  Tired--hit pause.  Pause I think would relate to "wait" in the Bible.  So when you are in doubt, pause, and when you pause---PRAY.

Erin is excited today.  They get the keys to their new house.  I loved the story Helen told me about Daddy when he bought the farm.  I checked the details with Fleta and she and Helen's stories jived.  I didn't even remember the story,  but then it starts coming back to me.   After Dad came home from WW II, he bought a big farm on Dry Creek in Carroll County.  The Leather's family owned the farm.  Patsy always said it had a real bad house and and real nice barn.  It had bottom land and some woods.  Watson Leathers had the house rented to a young couple with kids.  They were supposed to be moved, but were dragging their feet with excuses which very well may have been real.   Daddy owned the house so he moved in with them.  He went to the table when the lady of the house cooked and ate.  When the husband left for work, Daddy remained with the wife.  Well, in just a few days, they moved and Daddy moved his family in the new home.  Erin asked me what she could do, if Mr. F did not move his stuff out of the house.  I told her to start moving in.  This was before I was told the Willis story.  So, I am thinking "I think just like my Daddy."   I miss him today.  He always was a good, honest man.  How lucky I am to have half my DNA come from him.

Sometimes We Just Want to Hide

That is not a pile of dirty clothes in Greta's floor.  It is sweet Greta hid under a blanket.  Erin told her to get up and get going, but she only made it to the rug then she went back to sleep under this throw!  Sometimes, I feel like Greta just want to hide and "make the world go away".   But like Greta I realize that I must rise!  Rise and meet my obligations and what the day may bring.

I walked a little over three miles.  Hope to accomplish something today.  I am working on a crochet project that Laura asked me to do last year.  I just finished reading "The Mannings" about the football quarterbacks.  I enjoyed it.  Archie Manning's dad shot himself when Archie was in College.  The suicide of his father was the event that shaped him.

Hope Greta has a great day at school.  She loves school but has trouble getting to sleep at night so she has trouble getting up in the morning.  Personally, I think we have an inner clock that makes us late sleepers or early risers.  Clayton is up with the sun.  Greta is awake in the moonlight.

Hope Winnie is felling renewed today.

Jonell said the tube is a stent and it is inside her body.  It will stay there for at least 8 weeks.  I am dense.  Often don't understand unless stuff is really spelled out to me.

Hope this is a great day for all!   Look for the good in people and be humble and kind.    Hope I can be sweet today...but usually I turn sour before the sun sets and I have to ask help with my attitude.

Some of my accomplishments.  Sent picture from phone to email that Erin sent me of Greta Ann, saved the picture in pictures (finally), found the picture and posted it here.  Oh, I resized it in paint (program on computer that is not very good).  I wish it would have let me crop it but could not figure out how in paint.  Maybe I will be able to load the old Picture Program Fleta gave me years ago to this little laptop!

I have name the laptop, Nelly, "old gray mare who ain't what she used to be".

New and Old

One of my favorite poems.  Just trying to post something from laptop.

When I Am Old.

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me,
And I shall spend my pension
on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals,
and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired,
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells,
And run my stick along the public railings,
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people's gardens,
And learn to spit.
You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat,
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go,
Or only bread and pickle for a week,
And hoard pens and pencils and beer mats
and things in boxes.
But now we must have clothes that keep us dry,
And pay our rent and not swear in the street,
And set a good example for the children.
We will have friends to dinner and read the papers.
But maybe I ought to practise a little now?
So people who know me
are not too shocked and surprised,
When suddenly I am old
and start to wear purple!

Jenny Joseph

New Ceiling Fans

We gave Laura birthday money and she put up 3 new ceiling fans.  They are working pretty good.

So thankful for Laura and Erin, my two girls.  They are the best children I could have ever dreamed of having.

Winnie, please let us know how the knee is doing.  I am worried about you.  I think of you and pray for you!

Larry and I cleaned a little brush yesterday.   When it cools off, I hope I can do more.

I walked 3 and a half miles this morning.

We are watching the Cardinals.  They play at noon today.

I got a new laptop computer and I am trying to learn what to do with it.  Sometimes when I have to learn new stuff, I want to throw the computer in the trash.  But....Fleta, I am getting there.

Also, I am thankful for my Sister Fleta.  She is a rock.

Jonell is improving.  She is sore and will be glad when the tube comes out!

Greta The Gecko

I guess it is cooler today, but Larry and I worked outside for a while and I am sweating.  Sure will be glad when it gets a little cooler.

Happy Birthday--Robert!  It is number 11.

New Pest

Helen made it home and is glad to be in her own domain.  Wasps were virtually gone.  I guess the bombs in the attic did the trick.  Mice were not living in the bathroom.  All was pretty good until she started to clean the cushions on the porch swing.  Well, when Helen lifted the cushion, there was two baby snakes.  She said "light colored with black diamonds on them.  I think it is what we call "ground rattlesnakes".  Real name is Pigmy Rattlesnake.  I know the Lord is watching over Helen as she picked them up and tied them in a small grocery sack!  She said she was gearing up to make Robert a special cake for his birthday tomorrow!

Sigrid being Mannerly

 Sigrid is getting a lesson in manners.  Above she is with some friends.  The girl in gold is a favorite of mine.  I think Sigrid found her dress on the half of half at target.

 Here is Astrid--same age same class.

 And Ingrid

Jonell is home and recuperating.  She has a mesh drain tube for 2 weeks I  think.  She walked today and made broccoli soup.  She had stones blocking her bile duct so she was pretty sick.  At least an infection did not set up there.

Also, Helen is back on the farm.  So glad she is home and hope she will take it easy for a while.

Poor Cuz Winnie had partial knee replacement and then an infection in a tooth.  Tooth had to be pulled.  Now she must worry about if this infection might go to her "new" knee.  Hope our dear Lord will bless and keep our sweet cousin under his caring hands.

Now, that Helen is back on Douglas Road...Fleta is not boss anymore.    Helen is really good.   Fleta will think she is boss as she does what Helen says....just so Helen will hush!

I walked 3 and a half miles today.  Love my family so much.  Erin is burning brush on the new lot.  I wish I could be there to help.  My pioneer spirit loves clearing land!

Hilltop Armory Appreciates Their Customers!!

If only Helen had made it back to town.  Greg and Erin's Armory gave away bullets to the first 100 customers today.  She could have also signed up to win a free gun.  And as Helen is a lucky girl, I am sure her name would have been drawn for the gun.

Hope Greg got lots of new customers for the store!

 Lots of ammo to lots of customers--free!  And the three guns the winner gets to choose from below.  Helen, which one would you have picked??

Ingrid is playing in a volleyball tournament today.  I went and watched the "pool play".  She played at 10 and 12.  Astrid ran in a cross country meet today and was RSVL's first girl.  She was disappointed in how the team performed.    Whole season ahead to improve.  First girl on her team is sounds good to me.

Happy Birthday to Greg Aday.  I think he is 43 today!

September Humming By

 Greta is playing soccer again.  Below she is all dressed up in black before church.  Greta looks like her other Grandmother!

 Here Ingrid is posing with her Dance group.  She is sitting in the middle!

 Two more modeling shots that Astrid did for the dress shop.

Jonell is in the hospital in Springfield.  I hope she is doing okay and will be home soon!