Sentimental

 Feelin' Sentimental....i know Christmas is a ways off.  
Still...I came across some 2011 pictures 

of my Oklahoma Grands.

5 years ago.

Seems to have flown.

Santa will come to town before I know it 

and I'll be longing for SPRING again.

Please forgive me.

I think I need to take a deep breath and pause.

~ENJOY THE MOMENT~
It will vanish before you know it.

Seasons Greetings,

d

Dining On The Prairie

 When I was a KID 

Summer Birthdays meant very few Birthday Parties 

with my friends because they were all away to camp 

or having family vacations.

THESE DAYS

I am so thankful to even have a Birthday!

My DEAR HUSBAND

prepared his AWARD WINNING MEATLOAF  

for me per request.

At Retirement Cottage he had a huge surprise for me.....

Meatloaf with Caramelized Onions On Top

Twice Baked Potatoes

Asparagus

Baked Carrots

Fresh Brewed Iced Tea

We dined at a round antique oak table 

that was lit by a green glass antique kerosene lamp

as we sat on two antique dining chairs.

After all I am officially an ANTIQUE.

~grins~

It was wonderful....THANK YOU DEAR.

Dining On The Prairie was so pleasant

I want to do it again,

d

Spending Time At Retirement Cottage

Thank you for stopping by and visiting me.  

May LIFE be good.

This SUMMER has had some challenges 
as we think on what we are to do concerning Husband's career 
as he nears RETIREMENT age.  

Taking steps in preparing

and going towards a solution...

I have had a multitude of emotions to harness.

We continue to thin through OUR STUFF

and downsize. 

God Bless,

d

Coffee At Retirement Cottage

Retirement Cottage

Deliberate SLOW DOWN for morning coffee.

Summer is fading into Autumn.

In a lot of ways 

I sense being in the Autumn of my LIFE.

d

Autumn Has Fallen

Sunflowers are in bloom across the Prairie.  

Autumn is here.  Welcoming the cooler temps I am.

SHADES of FALL are coloring the scenery.

I will be ready to place the scarecrows on my porch.

Some MUMS have appeared.

AWESOME AUTUMN HAS FALLEN.

LABOR DAY week-end is almost a thing of the past.  Our St. Louis son and Grand drove over for the HOLIDAY.  Husband and I worked really hard to get the Dining room looking like a Dining room AGAIN when it was complete chaos filled with items from the cellar that we continued to sort through.  Boxes most everywhere.  Watch your step so you don't stumble.  Now what I call the OLD Dining room is holding the mess as we celebrate, we will have to empty it out in the near future.  

With our Son and Grand here, I invited our Daughter, our new Son-in-law and Lil Miss over for Supper.  I haven't fixed a meal for the newly weds as of yet because the house was so messed up.  Finally I fixed a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner in September because the turkey in the freezer was singing to get out of there.  I was waiting for the right time to thaw the bird and slow cook her in a baking bag.  I do love the baking bags.  Love 'em.

A week ago Sunday, I pulled the bird out and placed her in the fridge to do a slow thaw.  She baked up really well and we dined on Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Turkey Gravy, Dressing, Waldorf Salad, Corn, Green Beans, Strawberries, Relish, Dinner Rolls with Butter, Banana Cream Pudding, Coffee, Iced Tea.  I tried to make it simple, but was growling as the afternoon went on because working in the tiny Kitchen HEATED me up.  When I heat up I stay heated up with sweat and all.  We managed to pull this simple meal off a little after 6 pm.  

The eating always seems to go so much faster than the actual prep time and clean-up...imagine that.  Not to mention the shopping along the way.  We will have some great left-overs this week.  

Cellar CLEAN OUT is about half done as we took a break.  We'll pick back up after the holiday and away we will go.  I need this task to be over.  OVER.  Then I move upstairs like a whirlwind cleaning out the spare bedroom.  We have been at this location almost ten years and it took a turn for the worse when I got sick then husband got sick.  Daughter with a daughter came to live with us before we were settled in and the messes grew.

I kept buying thrift items to help fill a void with making this place a HOME for a while.  The cellar filled from the floor to the ceiling with goodies that I had so carefully packed in bubble wrap and stored in vinyl storage boxes. 

Now the day has come to lighten the load and downsize.  I am beside myself how this got so out of hand.

BESIDE MY SELF.  Not screaming just making myself stand at attention and let it go. 

If we can gather enough stuff to get rid of...it'll be time for the city-wide garage sale and perhaps we can let go of more stuff.  It will be a huge accomplishment to be downsized enjoying items we enjoy having at HOME.

Entering into our sixties is a work-out.
Please pass the water,
d

Saturday HaHa

A sense of humor goes a very long ways in LIFE,

d

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MARRIAGE Brings On Memories

Lovely HOME on the internet.

AUTUMN is near with cooler temps to enjoy 

before it totally freezes up and Christmas blows in.

This week we will be relocating some irises, 

planting an red bud tree for our anniversary and celebrating 

42 years of marriage.

I know that I know more about marriage now than I did...

LIFE LESSONS out the ears!

Some things are not easily forgotten.

Keeping a sense of humor and dating your spouse 

through-out marriage is a must.

Even if it's a walk around the block and holding hands.

We had a very nice meal at Harry's with coffee and Cheesecake dessert to boot last Friday evening.  
Should have taken a photograph.  Harry's is one of my favorite all time places to dine 

with my Sweetheart.  Always.

AUGUST has been a HOT month with some dips into the 70s.  
THUNDERSTORMS galore that wake one up from a very deep sleep with loud kabooms.

Before long, I will sit on the front porch to sip some HOME-MADE Lemonade.   
This time of year seems to make me long for my youth.  Making present day memories takes some doin'.

God bless and all the best to you!

d

Was I really YOUNG Once???

There are times that I cannot think of me being this old....at times.  In my body I am young until I get up to walk and for many reasons I cannot walk as easily as I once did.  Many times I feel like I am so young.  Then all it takes is a second glance in the mirror and I come back to the year 2016 and ALL the living I have done.

Hallelujah....I am alive!

d

Beary SWEET

I looked twice to see if this was a Teddy Bear 

or a real puppy dressed up.  

Decided it was a REAL Teddy Bear.

Fell head over heels in LOVE with these.

So Beary SWEET!

 d

Can It Be?

As I drive the interstate seeing the trees in the landscape, 

I know the early signs of AUTUMN are here.  

The wind blows the leaves and leaves twirl downward 

revealing FALL has started.  

A tree outside my front window is showing yellow leaves
meaning they have begun to turn AUTUMN YELLOW.
I am in disbelief as it is still AUGUST.
AUTUMN COLORS usually begin in September.
~SURPRISE VILLE~

We drove to Oklahoma over the week-end 

to celebrate our youngest Grand baby's 2nd BIRTHDAY.

VERY PLEASANT drive southward in quick order.  

Hardly any traffic and we arrived right at PARTY-TIME.  

He is a sweet child which smiles really big.  

He copies EVERYTHING his older brothers do.  

EVERYTHING. 

Very observant.  

Should be easy to teach him things he will need to know about 

in his early LIFE.

Children truly are a blessing from the LORD. 

Can it be possible to LOVE

CHILDREN MORE THAN THEY KNOW?

WITH A LOUD THUNDEROUS 

Yes,

granny d nanny

GRAND Experience

MORE GRANDS start the school year out 

this AUGUST.

BEA

UTI

FUL

Grandma

How To Make A Great Cup Of COFFEE

Is there really that much to making a cup of coffee?

Yes....I'll get back to you asap.

COFFEE makes a lot of peeps HAPPY.

 

Any tips on making spectacular coffee would be appreciated!

My MOM taught me to add a dash of salt to the coffee grounds.  Salt helps with bitterness.
She did this as a young woman working the deli counter at a store many moons ago 
and was told this was the BEST COFFEE in town.

Start out with a clean percolator, cold water, add fresh coffee grounds and a dash of salt.

PERK TO PERFECTION.

HUGS,

d 

PARTYING WITH THE BIG GIRLS OVER AT::

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