The Journey

It is good to have an end to journey toward: but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
Ursula K. LeGuin

Catch of the day!

This is the smallest fish I have ever caught! It even swallowed the hook and worm, only the tip end of the hook was showing. It has blue in its mouth and the fins have a sort of prehistoric look as they fan out. We were told that in the lake where we fished these are the primary food source for the German Brown Trout.

I actually thought I caught a German Brown, as I was reeling in what felt like a pretty good size fish, hubby netted it for me and I saw the brown sides and was wow, I finally caught one. Well it turned out to be the biggest sucker fish I ever caught. So two for two!

We were at a lake about 75 miles from home. It was so good to leave early Sun. when the sky was cloudy and as we got deeper into the Ozarks we noticed that the outside temp was only climbing into the low to mid 80's and it was raining off to the east of us. We fished twice on Sunday from the marina dock at the resort where we stayed. It was so good to get sprinkled on and feel the cool breeze coming to us off the lake. Was worth the drive. At home it is still over 100 every day.
Only stayed the one night as we were sharing the resort with my brother and his wife, they came in later on Monday and stayed over till sometime on Tue. It was a little wedding gift to them that finally got used.

When we got home found that SIL was not feeling well, so got her a Dr. apt lined up and took her to get some lab done. At 86 she is doing pretty well but has some trouble with swallowing and feeling full way to soon. (she barely weighs 100 #) I know the Dr. will run a bunch of tests, but my diagnosis is stenosis of the esophagus but will wait and see as she also has a heart condition and high pressure in her lungs that could be causing it. She will just hate it if she has to have more medication.

Thought for the day: Everyone has a photographic memory----some just don't have film.

Two fish swam into a concrete wall. The one turns to the other and says "Dam!"

All any one wants to talk about here is the heat and the beetles. The heat we can't control, but hubby is waging war on the beetles. They are the small Japanese beetles. They love blooms and tender leaves. Especially fond of roses and crepe myrtle. Hubby makes several rounds a day with a spray bottle of insecticide and give them spritzes. Seems spraying the whole bush doesn't last very long. I made the rounds last pm and lost track after counting 120 on 6 bushes. Late evening is a good time to get a bunch.

Headed out to our timeshare this weekend. Wish we could know what the weather will be when I book these things. Have another booking in Sept. Maybe it will be cooler by then. Hope to fish early morning in the lake close to the resort. At least drown a worm or two.

Thought for the day: Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears!

Creative totes

These are tote bags in Europe. I want some!! They must have a great sense of humor over there.

Patriotic Sunday

This is the view off my front porch this last weekend. What a beautiful day. Of course it got up to 100 by 1pm. But the mornings are wonderful.

Refrigerator Pickles

Wow 2 posts in one day. But wanted to share this really good, really easy pickle receipt for those who have cucumbers coming out their ears by now.

6 cups sliced cucumbers
2 cups sliced onions
Layer these in a big crock or glass bowl
Mix:
1 1/2 cups vinegar (apple cider type)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. celery seed
1/2 t. mustard seed
1/2 t. tumeric
Bring to boil then pour over cucumbers and onions. Let cool, then cover and store in refrigerator.
The biggest problem is to try not to eat any for at least one week.
They are crisp and yummy and keep well in the refrig unless of course you eat them up to fast, then you just have to make more.
I have a freezer receipt I will have to find and it is really good and works wonderfully even though you can't imagine making pickles in the freezer.

Thought for the day: A sign I saw once: If idiots were airplanes, this would be an airport!

It is so Hot, How hot is it?

Its so hot the squirrels are handling their nuts with pot holders!

The picture is of a humming bird moth that was lunching on my flowers in front of my store. You may have to click on it to enlarge it and also turn your head sideways. Heck while you are at it you may as well just stand on your head! What do you expect from a cheap camera phone?

Heat:: No end in site for now, I feel sorry for any one who may not have air conditioning, and what about all the people who have to work outside? It must be brutal. Volunteers are still coming into Joplin to help with cleaning up the debris. They say that about 60% has been hauled to land fills. They hope to have all cleared up by the first of Aug. Some are rebuilding homes, the city is working hard to try to plan things out, as this is an opportunity to make changes, like more parks, sidewalks, wider streets, and such. I noticed that Home Depot has a humongous tent up that they are working out of as they start to build the new store.

Well better go, got other fish to fry, may try the sidewalk with a little pam sprayed on first.

Thought for the day: Its so hot I discovered that it only takes 2 fingers to drive the car.

Shouldn't have been surprised!

For our amusement (I think) hubby put cracked corn in the yellow tub for the deer. Since they come up to drink from the bird bath and now are nibbling on the tomato vines. Why not lure them further by putting a tub out for them.

Well it didn't take but a couple hours before a squirrel decided it was his private stash. Boy was he in heaven, well tub. I tried several times to post a video clip here (wouldn't work) as it was so much fun watching the squirrel pop his head up and eat from his paws then disappear down in the tub. He kept it up for at least 30 min. But now at nite the tub is knocked over and I spotted a raccoon one nite after dark, so the tub will have to go.

You know when you get old and bored you do nutty things. Like when we lived out on our little farm a few years ago we were washing off the big propane tank and found that the big horse flys liked to land on the wet tank. Since we had horses and they were pestered by the dang flys, we started wetting the tank in the evening and stood by with our fly swatters. Bet the neighbors thought we were nuts.

Thought for the day:

A smile- is a sign of joy.

A hug- is a sign of love.

A laugh- is a sign of happiness.

And a friend like me??

Heck...that's just a sign of good taste!!

Not so wild

Took this pic from my bedroom window, so sorry about the screen. Hubby has been putting extra cracked corn in our back driveway for the deer. We have one nursing Momma that is real thin and are glad to feed her. But this pair has been showing up lately just to get a drink from the bird bath. That is a young doe to the right at the bird bath, and on the left is a pretty little buck with forked horns that are in velvet. That is a black rubber pan on the ground for them to drink from. But the little girl just drained the birdbath. That is my little city garden that I hope they stay out of. I hung some old cd's on the tomato racks but they have nipped the tops off.
Wish I could get a pic of the "FAT" squirrels that love the deer corn too. Pretty soon they won't be able to climb the tree.

Update on the house wren that is nesting in the gourd off the deck. They have been carrying little bugs and worms into that nest for several weeks. Well it seems like it. Hubby thinks that the Mrs. is to lazy and Mr. is just feeding her. I say they have teenagers that won't leave home.

Thought for the day. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO EVERYONE. BE SAFE!

Great Grand Daughter has a new Daddy

Here they are headed to the church to get ready for the wedding and start their new lives together as a family.

I know I wasn't going to write anymore about the tornado, but the paper is so full of stories every day and it is hard to still not be attuned to all of it. I just read that 18,000 cars were destroyed! 18,000! When we were in Joplin last week we saw several really battered autos on the streets. I sort of felt like driving them was a badge of courage for those folks. I don't think I would get body work done if it still ran! There was a picture of a van (couldn't tell from the pic) They were thinking of keeping it somewhere where they are collecting stuff to form a sort of museum to show what damage a tornado can do. The guy had just bought it and didn't have insurance transferred yet. Went into Walmart to shop and was lucky he was alive!

There was also a long article about the areas hardest hit and destroyed that had been some of the oldest historic part of the city. So with the loss of these buildings goes the loss of alot of Joplin's history.

Thought for the day:: Good things are worth taking care of!

More on the Joplin tornado

Down by that white car and on the right was a huge building where I worked for 8 years, for a large home health agency. Its all gone now. My friend still works "there". She said there is a huge beam across her old desk. Thank God the tornado happened on a Sun evening, and not a work day. They are displaced, like about 500 other businesses, working out of a church till an office building in another part of town can be renovated for them. The paper is still just full of the stories of survival. One that tugs your heart was a young girl (I think 11 years old) that was at the Home Depot where several people died. She got a piece of angle iron driven thru her body from her shoulder down to her lower spine. She is a miracle as she is recovering. The death toll is up to 156 now, as some of the injuries were so sever that they just can't make it.

We had to go to Joplin last Tue for a follow up apt on hubby's knee. 3 mo. and he is doing very well. Did drive by the hospital and to see it in person just makes your mouth hang open. All windows blown out, cars still in parking lot and are all beat up. Across the street all the medical buildings are leveled. They are working on removal now. A huge scale operation. It is amazing how people from all across the country are showing up to help clean up.

Thought for the day: A man should forget his mistakes, there's no use in two people remembering the same thing.

Went to Joplin last week

These are just a few pictures I took last week in Joplin. What is so horrifying is that these were neighborhoods. So when you see the flat ground those were ALL homes! I am just amazed that more didn't die. I think the death toll is 150 now.

Some other facts that came out in the paper the other day: 6,954 homes destroyed, 359 homes with major damage, 516 with minor damage, 300 businesses destroyed or terribly damaged.

Those numbers are just staggering. I think I heard that 1/3 of Joplin was destroyed or damaged. Major businesses were: 1 large hospital, 2 fire stations, at least 3 churches, Walmart Super Center, Home Depot, Acadamy Sports, the high school and 2 or 3 other schools, Toyota dealership, and a big Pepsi Distribution center. Then there was all the beauty shops, fabric store, small restaurants, Salvation Army, and Goodwill stores. So hard to wrap your brain around something that caused so much damage.

I just hope that all the money being raised is going to go to the right people who need it.

So just wanted to share this little bit from my part of the world.

Thought for the day: Whenever I hear a mother talk about wanting time away from her kids I can't help but think: just wait 'til the time comes when you'd do anything to be with then.. (I found that somewhere and think its worth some thought)

My daughter is an awesome driver!

The second picture is of our EMERGENCY FLASHERS that I wish we had Monday!

Bet that got your attention huh? Actually coming back from Texas in nearly 100 degree heat we had a right front tire blow out. My daughter was really awesome, in guiding the van to the shoulder like an old pro! It happened on a stretch of highway that was about as good as it gets for having to pull over and change a tire on a freeway. You would have thought someone would stop to help, what with a guy in a W/C sitting off the road and 2 women trying to change the tire. But she did it!! I only got a tiny smudge of grim on my white pants, so you know how much help I was to her. We went on into the next town and waited over 2 hrs and got 4 new tires put on! Not taking any chances! Then on safely home.

Oh, the Canton Tx. First Monday Sales is awesome, just don't go in 98 degree weather. You won't see it all in a day that's for sure. And take a wheeled cart or be ready to buy one for about 25$ there. Was great we had one and carried our small cooler and booty in it.

It was a great trip, great time with daughter, her hubby to be and the grand daughter. We are all ready to do another road trip when it gets cooler!

Thought for the day: Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal mistake, which at least, others can learn from.

YeeHaw look out Texas

If I see this guy I will for sure stop and give him a ride. He may have to sit on my lap as we may be a little crowded.

Dtr. and her family and I are taking a little trip for a few days to Canton Texas. The First Monday Trade Day. Always the first Monday of each month and the weekend preceding. It is the biggest flea market, craft show in the USA. Guess it is hard to see it all in one day. Go to
firstmondaycanton.com if you are interested in learning more. We were going to go the first of May, but there were so many storms brewing up that we chickened out. Now it will be good and hot and sunny. But looking forward to the family time.

Made some excellent book deals this week. One was at an estate sale and all the books were free. Got about 150 books in pretty good condition. Then today I stopped at a garage sale and paid 10$ for a big box of over 90 of these Love Inspired Romance novels that my older ladies just love. All nearly brand new. So Yeah for me.
(I almost feel guilty)

Thought for the day: Some people have such a talent for making the best of a bad situation that they go around creating bad situations so they can make the best of them. (makes sense to me)

Feeling numb

Been trying all week to think about what to write. My words mean very little in the wake of all the loss of lives and property in Joplin. Joplin is our "go to city" All our shopping and Dr. apts. are there. Plus our favorite restaurants. We have kept a phone book out and when we think of a business we look up to verify what street it was on. Many are all gone. Others so damaged they won't be open for a long time. The stories I hear and read in the paper just makes you wince. Then I get angry when I hear of the people who go up just to "LOOK" Stay away! Let the crews do their jobs. And if you are able to volunteer then do so, or donate something. We don't have to go up for about 3 weeks for a Dr. apt. and that will be soon enough for me. Of course the Dr. office is no longer there so will have to find out where he has relocated. But any inconvenience I experience will be less than a drop in the ocean!

mercy.net/joplin/stories-of-mercy/45-seconds copy and past this site if you want to read an account of the ER Doctor at St Johns hospital that was on duty when it hit.

Thought for the day: Hug your love ones every chance you get.

Sister's dream

Got in a little walk this morning with my sister, and she told me about her vivid dream. So while I can remember it I just have to put it down here as it was pretty funny. It amazing how we incorporate our personal life into our dreams with world events.

In the dream she said her husband announced to her that Michelle Bachmann had died suddenly and since she (my sister) looked exactly like her (no she doesn't, lol) she should step into her place and run for president. My sister insisted that she had to finish her quilt before she could do anything else. See she is working on a handmade quilt for her grand daughter's wedding this fall. But her husband insisted that it would be awesome as she could preside as president and quilt at the same time. Then he quoted a sign that she has hanging in her sewing room that says: Just One More Row. Then he said, well are you going to run for president or quilt?? Then she woke up.

I think he watches too much Fox and she quilts too much. LOL

Thought for the day: "We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way thru Congress" --- Will Rogers

Funny phone call

I just got a call from someone asking to speak to the person who handles the ATT&T account. I told her I don't have ATT&T. She asked who we have and I said that we have a monopoly, and she about cracked up on the phone and thanked me and said Bye.

See we have one of those small town phone companies that actually do have a monopoly on us as we don't have a choice. Guess they were pretty darn smart years ago to run all their own lines and such.

Thought for the day: I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I'm doing.

Another sign of spring

In my morning walks around town, I have been passing this little pasture. For several weeks there was a little (and I mean little) stallion that was pacing the fence, I could see into the front of this little barn and could see another small horse in there. I figured she was ready to have her baby. Well yesterday when I walked by, the stallion was penned up and lo and behold there were 3 mares in the pasture with 2 of the cuties little colts. Don't know if they are small Shetlands or miniature horses. Looks like they might come up to my waist on the shoulder. Aren't the cute little critters? Makes me miss our little farm, well at least for a few minutes. We enjoyed all our critters but it was alot of work and expense. big sigh!

Thought for today: Good questions outrank easy answers. Now think that one over a bit.

My number 2 pet peeve: Lack of Pride

After that silly post a couple days ago about the "crack" it got me to thinking. ( I know I have to be careful of that activity) But what ever happened to our pride? Do people just wake up and decide they will wear pants that show their crack to the world. Or did we just sort of slide into this pattern of "who cares"? I know when I worked in the prison I felt the pants riding on God knows what, was mostly a way for them to show disrespect, but I digress.

We live in a country of excess. And what do we do with our excess? Why we throw it out the window as we drive down the road, of course! How silly of me to think that we should have some pride in our self and our environment. As I was taking my walk this morning I met up with a sweet older couple that I see alot. They park by the little city park every morning and she takes off walking a few blocks while her husband walks slowly with his bucket and a pair of those pick up tong things. They are well up in their 80's but they set such a wonderful example of the small things we can and should do to keep our space free of all the trash. I told her the other day that she is my inspiration. She was just beaming!

I know people aren't going to stop throwing out their drink cups and pop cans, but maybe "we" can set examples for them by being sensitive enough to take a min. to pick up when we can. So I will start carrying a plastic bag in my back pocket and at least pick up the cans as I walk. (we used to do that when we fished around a lake and pick up fishing line to keep the critters from getting hung up in it)

I just noticed that the picture I chose to illustrate a trash can really isn't want I wanted, but I can't figure out how to delete it. It sort of shows a homeless man and I don't mean to say that a homeless person would have to pride. So forgive me if you think I meant that.

OK that is Pet Peeve no. 2, now when I can remember what no. 1 is I will write about it later.

Thought for the day:We don't receive wisdom: we must discover it for ourselves.

I don't think Walmart has enough spackle to fill this crack!

This was sent to me in an e-mail with alot of similar "ugly" pictures of people shopping at Walmart. You know Sat. I went to Walmart in the evening. Let me tell you that is a bad time to shop. But I did notice some pretty gross people. I am pretty forgiving, and understand that alot of folks don't have much money, but give me a break, stuff like this picture is not an accident. I did catch myself staring at a guy as I was leaving the check out stand. He was rather large and (excuse me) ugly. He had his head shaved except for this circle on top that was about the size of a cereal bowl and the hair was about 2 inches long and sort of curled nicely under at the edges. Ugh! I am sure the Honey he had at his side thought he was a darling.

Thought for the day: Guess its true, there IS someone for everyone. Just have to look or maybe just go to Walmart.