Wendell Berry-stolen from the pages of Lori's facebook

When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

nothing new to report

Not much going on here in Missouri, except the pollen count is way too high. We've been going to St Louis to work on Mom's house. It is in a not so good neighborhood so there is a limit to how much money we should be putting in it. Mark tore out the kitchen sink cabinet to repair the plumbing stack. Now we are considering all new cabinets, and if you do that the floor has to be redone. Just repairing the deck was about $700.00. She has lived in that house for over 50 years so I guess just burning it to the ground is out of the question. There goes that plan.

giveaway of Lands End Swimsuits

here is a great giveaway : http://www.chic-critique.com Lands End swimsuits, nothing better.

Garden no party

It is spring, what a wonderful time of year. the tempreture varies between 50 degrees and then the next day 85. Then it rains, and rains and rains. Upside, the grass is a beautiful green and the flowers are beautiful. Downside, ITS STILL RAINING. and the weeds are growing faster than anything. And spring adds another area of my home I have to feel guilty about not keepin up with. But I'm working on it........ The pictures are my backyard and the work in which I'm already behind. ok, the first and last are pictures of my neighbors flowers. Side note is that Mark hates those flowers for some reason. I think its that you can't cut down the green after the flowers die for a couple of weeks. he hates that.

advice column

When I was younger I could never decide on which direction I should go to for a career. I thought I should have one, but which one? What are my talents, likes, dislikes. At eighteen I didn't know, during my 20's I didn't know, or 30's or 40's . But I think I know now. In my middle 50's, which is great cause it's a little late to go there now. I once told my husband I was glad I was turning 50 cause it was too late to worry about what I wanted to do with my life. He said it was never to late to become whatever I wanted, what would I want to do? I said be a ballerina. So he said "too late". Anyway I should have had an advice column. I could have been Dr Deb. That would have been great. Or a magazine editor, wouldn't that be an adventure? It would so fit me, I love magazines, and I can spot an error in printing or english with the best of them. I think I should have used the fact that I'm so opinionated to make a fortune instead of giving those opinions away for free to an ungrateful public. Next Life.

We're having some fun now.

Here is the better model of old hats and the dressed up dressing table.

Weekends go by so fast

I'm playing with this arrangement on the wall, I want to put some saying on the side of the clock. I just don't know what. how about "Tempus omnia sed memorias privat" Time deprives all but memories, in latin. Or "Carpe Diem" or Chicago's "does anyone really know what time it is? "Time flies when you're having fun!" Any votes out there?

Wall has been repainted, and picture put up. I went with the three up, and over. Kind of a pain, but I like it. Thank-you Mark

We babysat Saturday and Sunday, the kids were great for the most part. I stapled some leftover material from a wedding on the old dressing table. The grand saw it and claimed it for her own. Three years old and she spent two hours arranging, playing, and make-uping in the back bedroom. She would have stayed longer but the aroma of my new bottle of "romance" cologne permeated the air. We moved to the kitchen to make cupcakes. If I was a very bad model of hats, I will show you a good one. Audrey tried on all the hats and was camping up a little. She picked the purple flower one for her own. Hope everyone has a great week, and spring is really here.

my auction purchases

doilies many, many doilies
about 12 pairs of womens gloves
two chenille bedspreads, one white with flowers and one pink.
many women's hats
crock, sewing box, lamp, telescope,etc
A full pink bedspread w/flowers and a kids apron that looks like a rabbit, at least I think it looks like a rabbit.
a Silhouette picture pair
earrings
tri-fold mirror, a hat box etc.
aprons

I'm thinking the 50's may have been my decade. I picked up a lot of hats now what do I do with them? I like that I even have the prerequisite lipstick stain teeth. I don't wear lipstick, but I'm pretty sure that now that I'm in my mid fifties I should start!!

Tuesday's Auction

Lots of stuff at this auction, but why have it on a Tuesday? I do not know,
I know I couldn't stay for the whole thing. But I will show you what I got a little later. A few of these items wound up being mine. I went through at the beginning and took some pictures, sorry some are a little blurry. I couldn't use the flash and didn't know if I was going to be told not to take the pictures. but I have found out in life if you do things with confidence, like you were suppose to be doing it, people think you were suppose to be doing whatever it is you are doing.

50's ladies hats (mine)
a "signed" Beatles picture, I am way too much of cynic, but it went for about $12.00
Luggage, couldn't wait for this
Depression glass. went fairly cheap, but I have too much of this now
jewelry, sold each piece separately, I hate that
Sewing box, (mine now)
old bedboard lamps, pink is mine
Kennedy pictures, went for under $20.00 probably a good deal. I'll post more tonight.

Giveaway

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check this out you might be very glad you did.

A ballerina in the making.

Our second grandaughter has just turned three years old.



Dance classes imminent

Ready to dance.

I just don't get it

I don't get toddler beauty pagents, I don't understand Nicolas Cage movies, or why anyone would think he was attractive, but most of all I do not get Twitter or Facebook. Or texting, I just don't. Why communicate in short sentences and with no thought or rambling? I thought blogging would keep people abreast of what was happening in the life and times of me. Ok, so most of the time that would be "hey, nothing new here", but every once in a while I may have something to say that is worth knowing. Not today but maybe some day. How about this.......hey relatives, would it kill you to hit the comment button once, just to say hi, or something?
Anyway, we've had some bad news, my DIL's stepmom died in her sleep last night. And she was younger than I am. I know that is not what I should be focusing on right now, but still it makes you think. Anyway Joette was a very nice lady, and a great grandma to my grandchildren. She lived in Tucson, Az but flew in to stay with my son & doughter in law for a week at a time a couple of times. She babysat the kids and totally loved being with them. She was even tempered, and sweet. I am so sorry that the kids have lost someone that loved them so much, they will not know what they are missing. I hope we can keep her alive in their hearts cause in this world the people that love you unconditionally are few and far between.

We went to Branson

Mark and I stayed at the beautiful Chateau on the Lake in Branson Mo. Thank goodness SEMA will be paying for it, or FEMA, or well I'm not sure who but as long as it is not us I don't care. Below is just a picture of the back of the hotel. And next to this is a view from the 6th floor outside the glass elevators but insinde the hotel. It was a very relaxing week, I meant to go shopping but I didn't really want to when it came down to it. So I just played around, read, and took it easy. We were taken out to dinner by some company, and it was very nice. I met the fire chiefs wife from another Southeast Missouri city and it seemed as if I already knew her. She has two kids that are now married and she is very proud of, one a dentist and the other a speech therapist. They are also enjoying traveling around now that the kids are out of the house. She and her husband scuba and they are having a great time. I don't know if I'll ever be able to do that, snorkeling is about my limit. But I think I need to swim better, which means I have to just start swimming every day. So maybe one day, I was tempted to try it in Cozumel, cause the water is so clear it didn't seem like a bad idea. I didn't though. I'm such a coward. Another thing this other couple is enjoying is a Harley Davidson- and she tried to talk Mark into getting one. I don't think after all the threats we gave the boys, we could take one up as a hobby though. But it did sound like they were having a blast.

What I was most proud of though on this trip was the fact that I did not screw up anything. That is right, I got the right date, the right hotel, and remembered to bring the right amount of stuff. I do believe this is a first for me. Usually I mess something up, I've gotten the wrong date for a vacation with the entire, extended family before. I had to scramble around to find new accommodations. I've messed up so many times, I just expect to now. And why do people still trust me to make arrangements without checking on them multiple time? I have no clue. Well I do send my California DIL my tickets and information ahead of time so she can check. I've been pretty good there, but not without compulsively checking the date & times over and over. Like an OCDer checking to see if the stove is off.

So I'm back at work, and just waiting for the next trip. Which may be California again, I have to make arrangements with C to stay in San Francisco in June. Hey, C, could I just give you my credit card and you do the booking? I really don't want to break this lucky streak I have going now.

George Clooney where are you?

George Clooney is in St Louis. I don't know what movie it is, but they are filming in St Louis. So the radio stations are playing "where in St Louis is George". I think that is kind of idiotic, why don't they leave those people alone. Now I've never seen a star up close, or far away for that matter. At least that I know of, cause I don't know who these new celebrities are now. Where are the Jimmy Stewarts, the John Waynes, the Paul Newmans? Oh sure Brad is cute in a Robert Redford kind of way, and I guess there are one or two more, but for the most part, eeechhh. Is ugly the new thing? And it is not like they are good actors, they pretty much play the same character over and over. I mean so did the DUKE but he had such presence. I think we need new stars, not just relatives of old stars. We need looks, and likabilty, and star quality. Even though George is just another relative, (Rosemary), he does have those three things going for him. Sooooo wait, I think I will keep an eye out when driving through St Louis. I'm sure he might just want to meet me.

We saw a house we really liked.