Life As We Know It

Where has the time gone? Well, one thing is for certain, it sure hasn't been passed with me writing on this ole blog! I can't believe how many years it's been since I posted on here and the only excuse I have is life has gotten in the way.

So much has happened since I last wrote. Of course Keith and I have grown older (I'm now on SS. Does that make me offically retired? HA) and we've definitely slowed down. Things I used to do in the blink of an eye now takes me hours. And where I once could do two or three things at the same time, I now have to concentrate to do even one. Oh well, even though Keith has had a lot of medical problems, we're both still able to get out of bed each morning and for that I'm very thankful.

One of the best things to happen to us is we've added more precious grandchildren to our household. No matter how old I get, I definitely find that my grandbabies are of the most outstanding things in my life. Our children all live HOURS from us now but we still manage to gather every two or three months. Our little house is really crowded when the kids and their families are all home and it's a lot of work to have them here but I wouldn't give it up for anything.

In my old age I'm still crafting away. A new thrift store has opened in our little town and as of three weeks ago, I have a booth in it. This booth is a lot bigger than the one I had in Iola so it's still not 'full' and there's still a lot of work I want to do to it. That will come with time and I'm sure having fun working towards do it.

I've also sold several rugs and samplers. I used to think rug hooking was my favorite hobby but now I'm not so sure....I love designing heirloom school samplers for people. Each one is different and made with their family member in mind. I never get tired of doing them. I just hope these old eyes hang in there as it's getting harder and harder to see the holes on that fine linen.

While I've been busy working on my things, Keith has been busy designing and building furniture. Even with his poor eye sight (He had cateract surgery that went terribly wrong and he almost lost his left eye.) he's really turned out some gorgeous primitive pieces. Hmmm, come to think about it, maybe growing old isn't so bad after all! HA

Along with all this, I'm still busy cooking up a storm. I've spent a lot of time this past year organizing all my recipes and working on daily menus. The result is our family is eating better and I'm in the kitchen less. So, it's a winning situation for the whole family.

Well, there's still thing to catch up on but that's going to have to wait for another day. Blogspot has changed so much since I've been on here that it's going to take me a few minutes to post this. Hopefully the next time I write I'll have figured out how to post pictures so I can share some the things we've been doing around here.

You all have a great day and I pray your not having this horrible heat we're having in Kansas. If so, please try and stay cool.

Blessings,

Sher

~~The Thrill of the Hunt~~

    One of the best things about summer in my opinion are yard sales.  You can take me to a high dollar store, hand me a fistful of cash and I’ll just stand there.  That is of course unless the store happens to be an antique shop.  If that’s the case, stand back, I’m going to be running down those isles.   But take me a yard sale, give me a five dollar bill and the hunt is on.

     It always amazes me the things people get rid of.~~~~And for very little money.   For a few dollars a person can come home with a whole carload of great items.   This year Keith & I have noticed there’s been a change in yard sales.   It doesn’t seem as if the items are of high quality and the prices aren’t as cheap, low as they once were.   Maybe the economy has something to do with it?   That hasn’t stopped us!   Every time we see a ‘sign’ we pull over.

        This weekend there was only one yard sale in our local paper.   I hated the thought of getting up early for just one sale but I hated the idea more of what I could miss if I didn’t! HA   So, bright and early, out the door we went.

       At this sale we found several neat things.~~~A cushion for one of our pool chairs, a Chinese tea set (For when we have our Chinese Gathering.), an antique pitcher and glass set (For another one of our Gatherings.) and a whole box full of jars with lids.  (I have a million and one uses for those!)

      On our way out of town we found two unadvertised sales.   One of the sales was out in the country and I knew the family having it.   This family lives in a gorgeous new home and I was pretty sure they wouldn’t have ‘my kind of junk’.   For that reason we almost didn’t go to it.  What a mistake that would have been!

      The minute we drove in the yard I spotted this wonderful white antique cabinet.   From the way it’s built, I’m sure at one time it graced the kitchen walls of an old farm house.   The whole time I was looking at it I was trying to think of a place to put it in our little house and how much I could get it for.  (The sign on it said, “Make an Offer”.)

      I had no more than started looking at it when the husband came out of the house.   He told me his wife had paid a lot of money for that piece (I’m sure she did!) but when they remodeled their kitchen there was no place to put it.   I told him I would really like to have it but like them, I really didn’t have anywhere to go with it.   He said they had been holding the yard sale for the past two days and that’s what everyone was saying.     Finally I offered him such a low price I’m even ashamed to say what it was.    When he said he’d take it I about dropped my teeth.   Honestly, I was so afraid the wife would say she couldn’t let it go for that I couldn’t pay him fast enough.   Poor Keith, as he was putting down the seats in the jeep so we could get it in, I continued shopping.  (I have that man trained right! HA)

      I picked up several other things at this sale, including this old carpenters tool box.      I must have ten or twelve of these things but I can’t bring myself to pass one up.   You can do so many things with them.   I think one is going to end up on my front porch.

      All the way home my mind was racing on what I was going to do with my new cabinet.    I knew there was no way I could work it into our little house (Unless I wanted to move a bed or two out!)  but the cabin was another story.   Out there I have a small white antique cabinet that I’ve had for years.   My thought was to 'marry’ the two pieces.    Keith said he didn’t think that was going to work because he thought this cabinet was wider.   I couldn’t get home fast enough.    A quick measurement said it would be close but we might be able to make it work.    Sure enough, we got it on there.

   Isn’t it gorgeous????   The perfect place to store more treasures!  I spent a lot in the cabinet yesterday and will be heading back out there shortly.    It’s so darn peaceful out there.   The perfect place to forget the troubles of the world.   Today I’ll be working on it’s front porch.   Oh how I love having two ‘houses’ to decorate!

       Well, it’s time for my day to begin so I’d better get in gear.   Have a great day & remember….Never pass up a yard sale just because you know the people having it.   You just might miss out on the find of the century!  

                            Blessings, Sher

Summer 2012

    The days of summer are flying by.    We started our summer out with our niece, Emily’s, graduation from pharmacy school.  (Not only did she graduate from Pharmacy School but she graduated as a Doctor of Pharmacy!!)  Emily is a beautiful young lady (Tall & super skinny~~Aunt Sher as always said she should have been a model!) and she graduated with the second highest grades in her class.    My Mom is still talking about her graduation and loves to tell Jeni that she has to do as well as her other granddaughters, Emily, Alex and Kara, has done.  Thanks Mom for putting more pressure on us!

      Next our Jeni graduated from 8th grade.   One of the tallest girls in her class, everyone remarked that she looked just like a model walking down a runway.   High school is just around the corner & ole Mom here sure isn’t ready.   They’re growing up much to fast for their dad & I.

      School had no more than came to a close when I ended up sick.   What started out as simple summer cold soon turned into the full blown flu.  For one week I laid in bed in misery.  I still have the cold but at least feel like I’m going to live.  (Wasn’t sure about that for several days.)

      Now that I’m back on my feet, I’m trying to play ‘catch up’ with life.   This weekend we’ve had a lot of company.~~Including our precious new grandson Kolton.  I swear there has never been a better baby than Kolt.  I don’t think he even knows what the word cry means.   I told Kara if she hand-picked that child she couldn’t have gotten a better one.   She may be going to China next month on business & if she does, we’re planning on baby-sitting him for four or five days.  Kara & Paul don’t know it, but we plan to spoil him so rotten they won’t want him back!

      Since I lost a week of my life due to sickness, I’m having to work like crazy to get new things done for my booth.    As of this morning I’ve completed four Needle Punch projects and I have a Patriotic rug half hooked.   My near friend Sher from New York sent me a goodie box last week (Wanna see the wonderful primitive summer prairie bonnets she sent?…. Aren’t they gorgeous?   I’m gonna be honest, if they don’t sell the first month, this ole gal is gonna buy them and they are gonna hang in MY house!!!)   Between all the things she sent and the things I’ve been making, my booth should have a whole new look shortly.

     While I’ve been busy doing my thing, Keith has been busy doing his.  In getting our pool ready for summer, he decided to re-do the pool deck and make it a little bigger.   It took him over a week but at last everyone is back to swimming the summer away.

     So, life is going on and we’re flowing with it.  Hopefully next time I write I’ll have more pictures to share.  Until then, remember to make the most of every precious moment and take time to do the things you love.  Blessings, Sher

My Bucket List

     There comes a time in life when you know your getting old.   Oh, you don’t notice it all at once.   It’s an ache here, a pain there.   Suddenly you realize your not twenty anymore.   Oh let’s be honest, you realize your not sixty anymore!

     Okay, being old isn’t all that bad.  Your retired so you don’t have to get up and go to work each morning.   Your kids rush to help you do each and every little thing.     And, no one gives a second thought if you gain a pound or two.  Or fifty.

     But who wants to be old?   Who wants to think the good times are over and your one step from the Nursing Home?   Not me!   I like to think this is the time in life to go after all those things I’ve been putting off.  It’s the time to go places, meet new people, try new things.   In other words, it’s the time to really enjoy life!

     And what better way to do that than to start a “Bucket List”.

     Over the next few months I’m going to share some of the things on my list & how I’m working towards crossing them off.   I will add here that a lot of things I’ve always wanted to do I was lucky enough to do when I was younger…….Have a large family, adopt children, live in a little white house with a white picket fence, have a little cabin behind behind my house, have my own shop, have a greenhouse and a zillion and one other fun things.   BUT there’s a lot of other things I want to accomplish before my time here on earth is done.

     So, let’s start out with number one on my list.~~~To have a booth in a Flea Market.   This dream came true about three months ago.  Granit, it’s just a small booth but it’s MY booth and I love it!  I’m having so much fun making and thinking of new things to make for it.   And when something sells it thrills me to no end.   Now the best part of my booth is receiving ‘goodie boxes’ from my dear friend Sher in New York.  Sher is a very talented lady & I love having her things (Small quilts, prairie bonnets, candle mats, ect…) to add to add to mine.   It’s became a joint venture between two friends, even though they live miles apart.   The e-mails fly back & forth and there’s lots of laughter mixed in with ideas of what to do  and how to decorate the booth  next.

       If any of you have ever entertained the idea of having your own booth, let me be the first to encourage you.   I’m certainly no expert but here would be my tips to get you started.

(1) Check out all the different flea markets in your area.   Then choose the one that best suits the things your wanting to sell.   In my case, I choose a store that handles mostly vintage & primitive items.

(2) Next start getting your items together several weeks or even  months before you plan to open.   Even if your booth is small it will take a lot of things to make it look full.

(3)Before you set your booth up in the shop, be sure to do a trial run at home.     Poor Keith, although he did our background at home, when we got to the store it wouldn’t fit in.  (We didn’t realize there were some boards sticking out behind the other gals background.)   He had to do some finagling when we started setting up the actual booth but thankfully it all went together.   Be sure your background fits the items you’ll be selling.   For me, that meant using old doors and barn wood.   They made the perfect back drop for my hooked rugs and reproduction samplers.

(3) Once you get your booth set up, treat it like you would any job.   Devote time to it each day.   If your offering crafts, make sure you work on something each day for it.   At least once every two weeks re-work the whole booth.   Even if you don’t have new things to add, re-do everything else.  It’s amazing how many different looks you can get using the same items.   And changing things around will give customers a chance to see all you have to offer.

      I guess by now you know how happy I am that I have followed my heart and completed the first thing on my Bucket List.    Remember, the only way you’ll do everything you’ve always wanted is to work towards your goals.

In a few days I’ll share another thing I’ve crossed off my list.   Until later….Do what makes you happy.  Hugs, Sher

Cinco de Mayo Gathering

    It’s time to tell the truth about our family.   The whole truth, no matter how much it hurts.   Are you ready? Okay, here it goes….

    My family is nuts!   Now I don’t mean are the dangerous kind of nuts, we just sound that way.    We’re the good kind of nuts.   We’re the family that if you drop in when we’re all together you wonder if the line between normal and abnormal has been crossed.

        WELCOME TO OUR WORLD!

       For the past sixteen years, Keith & I have been the host of the family Gatherings.   In the last two years those Gatherings have suddenly became every six weeks and have now gone in a whole new direction.~~Now each Gathering has a theme.   You’d think we’d be running out of ideas but not this bunch.   You put three sisters and an their 84 year old mother together and the ideas flow like water.

      This past weekend we hosted the Cinco de Mayo Gathering.  I have to admit , this was really a tough gathering for me.  Oh, the food was easy….We all love Mexican food so I have tons of recipes.   It was the decorating that was so hard.   It’s next to impossible to come up with anything Mexican related in our area.   Luckily my daughter Kara was able to pick up the paper products & I was able to fill in with lots of sombreros and wild striped sheets.

        Since we knew Kara would arrive early, my DIL, Renee, & I made short order of our cooking….We wanted to get in some “Kolt lov’en time” before everyone else arrived.   And love that baby we did!   Poor little guy was passed around like a football all day long.   He sure didn’t seem to mind as he slept through the whole party.    I swear, he’s the best baby ever.   I don’t think he even knows how to cry.  Kara & Paul sure lucked out with this one.

    Our guest started arriving around 10:00.  (Twenty-one people in all.)  That’s when the laughter and teasing started.   We always try to dress ‘in costume’ and who ever has the best wins a prize.   Believe it or not, the prize usually goes to my Mom.  I don’t know how she does it but just with things from her closet she always looks the part.   Well, this month she was beat out by my little sister Shelia and her family.  From the moment they walked up those front porch steps, the laughter started. Dressed in simple, authentic  decorated dresses, Shelia and Alex were a hit.   And Glenn was hysterical in his fake mustache.  (Which he lost while eating lunch!)   Of course they won the prize but I couldn’t help but hope they would have car trouble going home….I would have loved for the rest of the world to see my ‘always perfect’ sister dressed that way. HA

      As usual, each & everyone out did themselves in the food department.  I’ve never seen our tables so loaded with food.   We honestly could have fed twenty more people with food to spare.    Each recipe was authentic, down to our dessert of Mexican cake. (Thanks Sindy!)

     After lunch we had a pinata for the little ones.   Starting with the youngest to the oldest grandchild, each child got several ‘whacks’ until it finally broke, spilling candy everywhere.   Little hands made quick order of loading their waiting sacks.

      Then came the news we had all been waiting for.~~Seth & Codi told us the gender of our newest grandchild.  In our typical nutty fashion, this too had to be done in game form.   In the middle of our outdoor coffee table, there was a pink baby gift and a blue baby gift.   Seth & Codi were suppose to pick up the gift that told us whether it was a boy or girl.   First they picked up the blue gift but it was quickly put down and the pink one took it’s place.~~~Another little girl!   How exciting!   This will make us five grandsons & five granddaughters.  WOW   Our family is growing!

      From there we moved on to gifts for Sam & Renee’s little one.  (They won’t be back for our next gathering.)   And then it was time for a small Mother’s Day Party for Mom.~~She’ll be spending Mother’s Day watching Sindy’s daughter, Emily, graduate from Pharmacy school.  Oh how I wish daddy had lived long enough to see this day too.   I know there was never any doubt in his mind she would do it.   And Sindy is to be commended for working two jobs all these years to put her through.   Talk about a Mother’s love!

      Our day ended with hugs, laughter and talk of our next gathering.  (And NO Shelia, I am not going to dig a pit to roast a pig in my back yard!!)   Would you like to join us for Christmas in July?   (The more the merrier!)   It’s sure to be a day of laughter, tears and priceless memories.

Strange….but true!

     I’m the first to admit, I love a good ghost story or mystery.   As a young girl I was known to write a few ‘hard to believe’ stories myself when asked to write something for school.  However, the story I’m about to tell is true.

     Two years ago we lost my Dad to heart failure.   He’d had a heart attack earlier but we were Blessed to have had him for seventeen more months.  During those seventeen months, Keith & I purchased a cell phone on our plan so no matter where he was he would always be able to summons help.   And it just wasn’t any old cell phone either~~It had to be one just like his friend Bob’s.   He loved that cell phone and wouldn’t go anywhere without it.  And  use it he did!   Each month when the phone bill would arrive, we always joked how Daddy had used more minutes than Keith & I combined.    When he passed away, we gave the phone to Mom so she too would have help no matter where she was at.

      As I’ve told you before, I know nothing about cell phones. My knowledge is limited to turning one on & off and checking missed calls.   Sad I know but I really don’t want to know anymore than that~~I have better things to do with my life than to walk around with a cell phone to my ear.   That being said, after this week, I do wish I knew a little more about one.   And here is why……….

       Last Wednesday, Keith & I made our weekly tip to Iola for groceries.   As always when I leave home, I turn my cell phone on (After all, I do want my kids or family members to be able to reach me if there’s an emergency.) and when we came home I turned it off and set it in it’s usual place in one of my old cupboards.

       That evening I was out feeding the farm cats when Jeni came running out, cell phone in hand.  Her face was completely white and as she shoved the phone at me she said, “It sounds like Grandpa!”   Taking the phone from her I said, “Hello” and I swear, in a voice that sounded just like my Dad’s a man said, “Shelia?”   Now Shelia is my little sisters name and she’s the only one of us girls that my Dad ever called.   I was so shocked all I could say was, “Who?”.   Once again the man said, “Shelia?”.   I told him he must have the wrong number and he said, “Oh, sorry.” and hung up.

       Closing the phone I was so shaken I could hardly talk.   It didn’t help that Jeni kept saying, “Mom, that sounded just like Grandpa!”   Like I didn’t know it!   And I was thinking how I knew I turned that phone off when I got home so how did it get turned back on?

     At first I wasn’t going to tell anyone but Keith  what had happened.   Let’s face it, something like this might qualify me to be committed for life.   However, when my sister Sindy called yesterday I decided to tell her about my “Phone call from Daddy.”   I fully expected to hear laughter on the other end of the line and then for her tell me that now she knows I’m nuts.   Instead, there was complete silence.  Finally she asked what day of the week this happened and I told her Wednesday and asked why.    That’s when she told me her story.

      On Tuesday she was at work in her office.    Like me, she never has her cell phone on and suddenly it started ringing.  She said it scared her half to death and by the time she got to it, the caller had hung up.    When she checked missed calls it said, “Dad’s cell”.   (Even though Mom now has the phone, we both still have it listed as dad’s cell on our phones.)   Thinking Mom was trying to reach her she called her right back.   Imagine her surprise when Mom said she hadn’t used the cell phone all day!

       After several minutes of silence we both started laughing.    I told her couldn’t have been Dad , he didn’t get to take his cell phone with him.   Mom got it!

       I suppose this is one of those things we’ll never know the answer to.    I’d like to think Daddy was checking up on me, even if he did think he was calling Shelia.   After all, even in life Dad never could get our names straight!  

 

Catching Up

Good Morning!

       While it’s Spring in Kansas, it’s honestly felt more like Summer.   Yesterday we hit a record 97 and today promises to be just as hot.  Okay, that’s a little to hot for April but we’ll take what we can get…..As long as there are no strong thunderstorms in the mix.

      So much as been going on here in the country.    Our much awaited grandson made his arrival a week early.    Meet our precious Kolton Dean…………………..

Isn’t this picture of mother and son precious?    For someone who never wanted a family, Kara has taken to motherhood like a duck to water.   Both her & Paul love that little guy (Okay, honestly, how could anyone not love him???) and this ole grandma is thrilled with daily pictures of him.   They’ll be home next weekend and I can’t wait to get my hands on him.

      Since we are going to have a houseful next weekend, I decided it was time to clean out the playhouse for the little ones.   Since our ‘babies’ are now 13 & 14 you know it’s been a few years since it had a good cleaning.  What a mess!!!  Once we got it cleaned out we decided it was time to move on to the greenhouse.   Out everything came and once again we started pitching junk.   Since we had rain predicted we just through everything back in there but at least now when I feel up to it, I can go out and get it all back in order without having to do a lot of lifting.

      Doing all this cleaning/lifting work has really taken it’s toll on Keith & I’s backs.    I spent all Tuesday in bed and Keith laid most of yesterday afternoon.   We’ve both agreed we can not do hard, physical  work like this and yet there is so much to do around this ole farm.   Next on the list is my shop but it’s going to be done with a little here, a little there.   No more pushing ourselves to get something done in a day or two.  From now on we are going to stretch these cleaning projects out over several weeks.

      I don’t want you to think that work is all we have been up to.   There has been many rugs, mats, samplers, pinkeeps,  and furniture made on this ole farm.   All with a purpose in mind.   In the next few days I’ll be talking about that.

       Our little ones have just a little over three weeks left of school.   I don’t know who’s more excited, me or them!    I look forward to having them home all day and they look forward to sleeping in.  Within the next two weeks Keith will be getting the swimming pool ready and then we’ll know Summer has arrived.

       Well, rain is predicted tomorrow and there’s a pile of laundry sky high so it’s time to get it washed and hung out.    I hope everyone is enjoying warmer days and stay safe from all the tornadoes that have been hitting our country.   Until later…….

                                     Hugs, Sher