Can I have a big YUM?!?

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes Can you think of anything better at this time of the year? I plan to make these this week. I'll let you know how we like them.

One of my perennials

In 1978 Carl graduated from college and moved to St Louis to begin work for the power company. He was one of 5 engineers in one office. It was a small office and the 5 engineers became friends. A year later when we got married I joined him in St Louis and met the group. Carl generally knows what 3 of the 4 are doing because they are still in the power industry. We have been blest to have kept up with the 4th and his wife, Mike and Linda.

Mike was at a meeting this past week, in LR, that Carl's company sponsored. Linda came to visit with me. Mike has been to meetings before here and Linda has joined him and we have a fabulous visit but the guys don't get to see each other. This year was different. Mike and Linda got to eat supper with us one night.

I remember when Mike and Carl would get together, they would get so silly and laugh so hard they couldn't even tell us what was so funny. My mother called them the Whit Brothers- half and nit. That made them laugh even more.

Here are the Whit Brothers today- still sharing laughs after 30 years.

Here are the calming counterparts of the group.When I moved to St Louis in 1979, boy was I young! Not only in age but in maturity and street smarts and just dumb all the way around. Linda, gently, took me under her wing and gave me much needed direction - some directly and most, just by her life. She and I both had sons in 1982- my first, her last.

Linda is deliberate and intentional. She has a plan. That has helped me, a very much fourth born/sometimes the baby, get a grasp on how to proceed with life.

Linda is a reader. Part of every visit is a book list swap. She is in a book club and has lots to share along those lines. She might be getting me fired up to try one again.

Linda loves her family well. She lets her two granddaughters know they are the apple of her eye. She relishes every age that those granddaughters are and doesn't expect more from them than they are able to give or be. She knows her sons and daughters in law well. She was who her son called when he missed his flight and needed to get ahold of his wife and couldn't. He knew she would help him. She loves her husband and is a wonderful compliment to him.

Linda is an artist. She loves to take pictures and appreciates art. I remember her having pretty pictures near the crib so that her son, Danny would have them to look at as her lay there.

She knows grief all too well. We are both in the sorority of motherless daughters.

I knew when she was here, that I could just carry on with my week and she would enjoy being a part of the craziness. We worked at church on Wednesday, Bible Study on Thursday and then lunch with Kaitlin and on to the Art Building so Kaitlin could show Linda where she spends lots of her time.

One of the many neat parts to her visit was that she did help on Wednesday and because she was here two of our usual ladies could have a day off when they really needed it. Here she is putting on the lemon-pepper on the chicken.

Here we are admiring one of Marisa's drawings that made it on the wall at the art building. Hers is the the second from the left on the bottom row.
Here is Kaitlin giving Linda an in-service on book making. Kaitlin took a class on book making last summer. The teacher told the class that during the two week session they would make 4 books. Kaitlin made 9. I think we can safely say that Kaitlin loves making books. Kaitlin shared how she makes books for children that she babysits for and how they love having a handmade book. I could see the wheels turning in Linda's brain as she looked at the books. I bet she will make them for or with her two precious granddaughters.What a blessing to have such a wonderful visit while laughing lots and getting my ironed sharpened. I have books added to my TBR list and a renewed desire to be deliberate and intentional with life. I am very thankful for this perennial friendship.

3 months from today!!

Three months from today will be a Saturday too. I'll probably be up and dressed by now and making sure all our ducks are in a row.

We plan to address the invitations soon.

Here I am between two of Marisa's bridemaids, Kaelyn-her sister and Rachel- her cousin. We got out outfits altered.

The beautiful bride to be and her equally beautiful maid of honor met us there to join in on the fun. Here they are in front of the alteration place.Marisa is checking things off her list. She is very organized and it is a pleasure to be able to help her in anyway I can.

What does Kaitlin do?

I wanted to see the photo lab where Kaitlin prints her pictures. Carl and I spent the afternoon with her a few weeks ago. Here is the lab.

Here is the board that is 18% middle gray that photos are shown on so you see just what the camera sees.
Notice that Kaitlin has on long sleeves.

Gotta have some football on

Addicting Games is a wonderful web site that Kaitlin loves.
Notice that Carl has his jacket on by now. With all the computers in the room the air needs to be on all the time. So it is COLD in the room.I am thankful to be able to see what my children do and be in 'their world' for awhile.

Aunt Marian's and Miss Rita's are both wonderful

I love to tailgate. Here are the top 10 places to tailgate.

War Eagle

Does this look Igneous to you?

I know you are thinking....What in the world? And I would have to let you know that you are looking at my rock collection.

I have always collected rocks.

One story that my mama loved to tell was the time when she came into my room when I was a little girl. She needed to move my doll stroller but it was so heavy. She moved my sleeping doll baby and her blankets and found lots of rocks. When she asked me what they were I informed her that I had a rock collection.

The briefcase below, that now holds my rock collection, first belonged to my daddy and then to my brother, Charles. I think I have been using this briefcase for over 40 years. Can you tell??

Kaitlin is taking Geology this semester. She and I have been looking for my rock collection. We found it this morning in the garage. John had to use a few Cirque du Soleil moves to get it off a top shelf.



Here is my petrified wood.
volcanic ash from Mt St Helens
This is my favorite rock in the whole world. A piece of pink granite in the shape of the US without Florida. I found this when I was about 10.


This is Mica. It comes off in sheets.Kaitlin shared lots of her new knowledge with me.

Kaitlin also shared with me her thoughts on her homeschool journey. She said that she remembered looking at my rock collection when we studied earth science. She said that she thought it was cool that she had enough knowledge in lots of different subjects to make her want to learn more but not so much to make her bored in class. Wow! How neat was that to hear!?!

So I say to you...Rock On

Is your favorite Disney movie based on a book?

Here is a list of Disney Films and the books that they are somewhat based on. I enjoy this blog and get lots of books recommendations from her.

What do you like to drink?

Soda or Pop or Coke A fun map

Have you heard of the Cat Who books??

It is hard for me to get my mind around the fact that my friend, Gladys, has been walking the streets of gold with Jesus for a little over a month.

My friend, Barbara, Gladys' daughter, invited us over to show us some things of her mama's that she wanted us to have.

We got lots of cast iron. Marisa, Kaitlin and I plan to spilt this.

We also got some of her thread, buttons, Christmas music and best of all some of her books! Gladys loved mysteries as you can tell and she wrote her name in most of her books.Marisa got some plates for the plate wall she is planning. They are Norman Rockwell- Seasons of Love. Isn't that fitting?!? Kaitlin got some of Gladys' material and a few dishes also.

It was good to see Gladys's house without her in it. It brought some closure for me to know that she really isn't there any more.

I am thanking God for my friend Gladys and all she added to my life.

Poverty or simplicity?

Andrew called my attention to this article by Andrew Peterson in response to a discussion we have had about levels of living.

Around this time I read an excellent book by Richard Foster called The Freedom of Simplicity, and I had my answer. What I envied about the Bolivians wasn’t poverty. It was simplicity. They didn’t choose it. It’s a necessary result of living in poverty, the silver lining on a dark cloud. That’s why people come back from Africa with that infectious gladness–not, of course, because of the terrible smell or the sickness or the injustice–it’s the simplicity. It’s a life uncluttered by television and power bills and traffic jams–a life enriched by the intense joy of interacting with other souls at a profoundly deep level, which is what we were meant for. What we miss when we come back from mission trips and church camps and spiritual retreats is life at its simplest.


Here is the rest of the article

I are striving for simplicity.

Where is Earl?

We used to live in New Orleans so all things hurricane still fascinate us. Carl found this site that we thought was very interesting. I hope you enjoy. There is other weather info on this site too. Cool Web Site

Ring Ring...Hello?

When all my children turned 13, Carl and I gave them a ring. It was more than a purity ring it was a 'think and don't be stupid' ring. We wanted them to remember that they came from a family that loved them and when that became hazy in the future, look at the ring.

John wore his ring all the time. He took it off when he played sports and when he went camping. Usually I wore the ring and gave it back after the event but one weekend I put it in a 'safe place'. It was so safe that it stayed in it's safe place for YEARS! We thing it has been gone for maybe 7 years. I forgot where I put it. I cleaned out drawers, baskets, every nook and crany I could find. It was nowhere.

Marisa's sister Kaelyn has been staying with us and she was dusting some bookcases. Now when Kaelyn dusts, she takes everything off the shelf and forevermore cleans the shelf. SHE FOUND THE RING. It was on a book shelf, tucked in the corner.
John has enjoyed being reunited with his ring.

I am trying not to think what this says about my cleaning or maybe I should just hire Kaelyn to clean the house from top to bottom.

I wonder what else I have lost that I don't know about!?!