The Aging Process... Stinks.

As seen before~ young, fresh, smooth, newly carved pumpkins...
Then, it happens~ time passes and things settle, sag, turn wrinkly, spotty and mold appears... then the little one's top caves in... while we sit at the table, eating dinner.

Needless to say, these puppies are going to the burn pile later today.

Halloween~ A Few Years Ago

One of the things I liked about teaching was being able to let my goofy side show and/or stepping out of character. Though I haven't had a chance to scan the pic of when I dressed up as "Mrs. Roper" (from the Three's Company show of way back), here are two that I did have electronically.
Here I am on the right as~ "Pippi Longstocking".
This dress below is an authentic reproduction/replica Civil War dress. It was borrowed from a friend and I "walked on egg shells" the whole day while wearing it.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Our Little Someone got to experience her first pumpkin carving... well, she didn't experience the carving part on her own, but she helped in every other way. Including throwing the pumpkin seeds/insides to the disposal dogs. No, they didn't get it all or even much more than a few tiny handfuls, as I wasn't about to risk the 'this will make their gut do strange things' phenomenon (hey, they're 160 & 162 lbs respectively and if a regular person has 'clear the room' capability, imagine a person-size dog).
ANYway, pumpkin face making was thoroughly enjoyed... well, except for the part when my 'so-focused-on-carving' other half stabbed himself with a very sharp knife while doing the 'baby' pumpkin (we had a momma & daddy pumpkin too). After bleeding and butterfly bandaging, we finished the pumpkins.
While daddy carved, someone was putting the pieces back~ "Where's the other eye, momma?"
"Here it is."

"Where's the pumpkin's mouth, mommy?"
"Here it is." ...and she got it to fit back in place... and took it out again... and put it back... and so on...

Guess who's coming to dinner? ...pumpkins!

We dimmed the lights in our dining room for just a bit to show how the pumpkins light up. After we turned the lights back up, someone wanted to "turn the light off again, momma".

We did.

Picking Flowers

Our little someone is an avid mower rider. We take a ride just about every day. During one of the rides, she pointed out the flowers (on the west side of our place) and asked to pick some.

You just gotta stop and smell (pick) the flowers...

And you can't have too many either...

Mud Bath

Our 'Little Someone' loves the outdoors. Her Momma and Daddy both do, too. So, it stands to reason. She recently gave her self a mud bath of sorts...
Her scrunched face is because I interrupted her by asking her to look up so I could snap a pic. She had just finished rubbing a handful of mud on her leg while saying, "Ohh, feels gooood."
Her little nakedness still required a real bath- this was taken AFTER the hose down...


At least the stroller stayed clean (you can just see on the left in the pic above)... she likes to push it around with her bunnies or squirrels in it (momma's resin garden figurines).

Great Dogs ~(don't forget to click for a close-up!)

I just cannot say enough about how sweet, patient, loyal and protective these Danes are.

Here, our little someone is trying to cover Smudge dog's eyes with her ears and telling her 'Peek-a-Boo'...
Giving a hug...
We kept saying, "put the leash over Smidgen's nose"~ well, I guess it was 'over' her nose...
We revised our 'how to' with the leash and it then made it on Smidgen~ though, I believe, she was oblivious to the fact...
Looking up to big sister...

My First Shutterfly Book

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm working on this book for my daughter. Hence, I have little 'play' time as it is and it's being used on another site. The other site allows people to 'share' the books they have done. It is neat, as it can give one some different ideas.
The first Shutterfly book I did was for my husband (and daughter) for his first Father's Day. You can click on the link below and see it. I would suggest that once you get there, click the "Full-Screen" button and then hit the "Pause" button so you can click the pages when you want to (it goes too fast for me).. also, if the program starts before you are ready, you can click the Pause button and go back to the previous pages manually.
As, I've said before, it's a neat site that can allow one to make memories fabulously forever. Don't forget to look at the front & back cover too!
http://community.shutterfly.com/gallery/post/start.sfly?postId=/gallery/1/post/GMGDFg2YOGzNmzcgLRRjBs

Late-night Hungry Post

I have been working on a book for my daughter. Hence, no posts of late... and I am, again, on the computer working on this book right now when I stumbled onto these pics ...and I am so hungry right now.

Alas, I won't eat because it is TOO late (it 'sticks' much more to you the later you eat)... anyway, I saw these pics and my mouth watered. I like to bake and when I bake something that comes out looking nice, I sometimes take a pic. This first one is Strawberry Cheesecake and the other is a "Chocolate Horse Hair Cake"... yes, I named it.

Mmmm... doesn't it look good though, despite the name!

The Mystery of the Fake Flower Jar

I won't say that 'I collect' country themed timers... my mom might, over time, get me a few dozen and I just don't have the space. This little family of five fits just fine on top of the microwave... along with a Texas toothpick holder and a fake flower in a jar in back. The fake flower is not special, but it is in an old (?) clear jar, of which I know nothing about other than what it says on it and where I found it (found it on our property among dozens of other oddities and ends over the years).
On one side it says:
SUGAR-STARCH
CORN SYRUP
U.S. CERTIFIED
COLORS-3/4oz.
T.H.STOUGH, CO
JEANNETTE, PA
(and the above is all written sideways, that is, you have to turn the jar on its side to read).
On the other side it says:
LYNNE
DOLL
NURSER
(this is written whereas one can read it with the jar standing upright).
On the bottom, it says:
PAT. 136888
The bottom also has an 'M' with a circle around it and the number '4' above the 'M'.

Wouldn't it be fabulous to find that this jar is worth ?$? Ha, I know... not likely.

Regarding the Big Saggy...

About a week ago, I posted some tree trunk slice pics (post date- 9/30/08) and was curious what people "saw" in the trunk slices. Wow, some people have interesting imaginations... well, before I go off saying something about other's imaginations, I shall admit my own sightings, as weird as they may be ...or may not be.

Okay, here are the pics again (they can be clicked on for larger view):













Well, for the first pic, I see large saggy breasts. Not far off from what some others said. And for the second pic... at least I was not alone!... I saw... umm... err... uhh... to put it like the other person said... 'the male anatomy'... or a form thereof. I also saw a bear looking to the right. So, Mr. Rorschach may not think I'm too far off from the 'norm'.

Below are the comments that came in as to what others saw. Some very interesting, creative, and some, downright... umm.. unique.
:-)

Anonymous said...
I SEE two different things with the first slice ... the first is a very wide-load woman bending over in the garden. The second ... same woman bending over in front of me ... those thangs are boobs!!!The second slice is obvious ... a large bulbous snoze ( no doubt from drinking too much!) Oh, he's bald and has a weak chin!

Anonymous said...
I see an old buffalo from behind in picture one. In the second is a profile of a toothless person with their eyes closed and chewing aka gumming something (and deformed back of the head).

Anonymous said...
Cocker Spaniel Rose Butt (or would you call it a moon?!)~Jimmy Durante Elmer Fudd Flop-Eared Rabbit Ground Hog sticking its head out from it's den(?)Bear

Anonymous said...
View 1: a fat lady bending over picking up bon bons, a tooth with the top part tilted to the left, a curled up baby bear, two sleeping puppies, one laying over the top of the other. View 2: a pig's head with the shoot to the right,the heart with a vein on the right, side a fist with one finger pointing at something~Bernie

Anonymous said...
The first one is a view I had of your Dad just before I passed him again in the woods on a tight trail at Caney Creek. The second one is a view of Mickey Mouse looking in the other end of a hollow log(study the wood grains!!) Mr.D

Anonymous said...
a large b_tt and the base view of a male anatomy

Anonymous said...
oh-oh- the person that 'saw' the baby bear curled up asleep in the first view was right on the mark. Sweet little grizzly bear all curled up in the fetal position! 'Bare' Momma

Anonymous said...
"passed him again" comment reminds me of the story of the tortoise and the hare.....
********************************************

And lastly, one that wasn't posted (just took the pic yesterday)... we cut down one of our sycamores... or shall I say, a "Sick-a-more" tree that had been struggling and was on its way out. We're having some large plucked trees brought in~ biting the bullet and spending the dough, as life is short and we would like to enjoy the trees.
ANYway, so we chopped the sycamore down and, again, cut trunk slices for ?? a clock perhaps. So, here they are. And it is very clear what they look like... let's see, how did my imaginative other half put it??... Oh, yes, "Breasts smashed up against glass".

I would concur.

Thy Fair Winged PoopMeisters

A couple of months ago we had a poop problem. We had some pigeons decide that they liked our barn... and, at first, they were fun to watch. We noted their pretty colors- a sheeny dark green with several hues about it. We would show our daughter ...and the dogs liked chasing them -all great fun.

However, poop happened.

Now, I don't know if you know how much poop a pigeon produces. But when there are two at a time doing it in several consistent places where you walk... you can't help but notice and go, "Eeewwww." Now, let me be clear, I'm talking A LOT of poop. So, what started out as "Oh, look at the pigeons!" turned into, "Eeewww, watch out for the poop, don't step in it." This was followed by my clean other half hosing the dried poop off from the barn concrete floor. Our whole floor would get wet to accomplish this. Let me just say... dried piles of pigeon poop have potential in the glue industry for its adhesive properties.

So came trouble shooting. I first had the dogs regularly run in and chase the pigeons out- hoping they (the pigeons) would get sick of having to fly off while roosting. Didn't work. Poop ensued.

The following thing we thought that we would try was loud music. Our barn is hooked up with stereo and speakers are fixed above the front and back doors of the barn. Well, evidently the birds liked our music choice because poop continued.

Next, at my other half's suggestion, we closed up the whole barn; front sliding doors, back sliding doors, and all windows and the dutch doors on our stalls. Note, this was going on about July-ish... I wasn't for this plan as it meant no breeze while feeding, I repeat, no breeze... we're in Texas, nuff said.

Anyway, we did this and it seemed to work ...for a few days... until I pushed the front big barn doors open to a dark barn and a pigeon flew out over my head~ yeah, we almost had a wet barn floor again, but not from the water hose. Then, another pigeon was still in the barn and he took some time to figure out how to fly out with everything closed but the front doors... I wasn't about to go open ALL the windows and stall doors-as I'm short and cannot just open them easily. I have to use a fancy bar tool my husband designed to reach around and hook the handle~ not a quick task, so that bird just flew back and forth and drove me and the dogs nuts until he figured it out.

Sooo, after talking about our pigeon dilemma with others that had similar experiences and learning that the fake owls don't work, nor do hanging tin pans (after awhile the birds figure out there's no threat)~ we resorted to the 'final' plan... the one that we didn't want to have to have it come to. Yes, the final plan. Well, as a major animal-lover, I told my 'hadn't-hunted-an-animal-in-20-years' other half that... ... okay... do it... just please make sure you get a good shot.

I kind of put the thought out of my head for the time being, but later I inquired about his jaunt to the barn. He told me that he had the pigeon all lined up... but... the pigeon turned and looked at him, right square at him- you know, how birds tilt their head... well, he didn't shoot it. I thought that was the sweetest thing... to show that kind of reverence for animals. I told him that it was one of the sweetest things I've ever heard him say/do. And it truly was.

But, then S^*# happened... again... more.... that was all I needed (and my husband too- he was on his way). I was sick of it and, I told myself that it could be a health issue with a toddler running around (hey, it made me feel better about the whole thing). So I said, "Shoot the thing... do it fast... try not to have it suffer, but shoot it!"

So, my predator other half did the deed... twice. He almost did it three times. He thought a bird on top of the barn was a dove at first (the doves here don't roost in the barn), but it turned out to be a grey & white pigeon. We had not ever seen this bird in the barn. Regardless, the bird got lucky as my husband missed and we haven't had him anywhere near the barn since.

But, he has started coming to our bird feeder and quite frequently too... where he is supposed to visit like a good little birdie. In fact, he lets us get VERY close~ even with 2 year old daughter in tow, we have been able to get within four feet of him. Upon closer inspection, he (or she) has a band on their left leg. His name is ... 'Pigeon' and our little someone talked all about him after these pics were taken. Let's just hope he keeps his potty habits out of our notice.

I am NOT Biased !!!

She's just too cute for words.

She had seen this hat earlier, in the laundry room, up high on a shelf. Later, when she started to get on the horse, she stopped mid-way and insisted on wearing "the cowboy hat". I asked, "What cowboy hat?" She then led me to the laundry room and pointed up to the hat.

It was ride 'em cowgirl after that!

The Creativity in my Little Toe

...that's about as much creativity as I've always said that I have~ enough to fit into my little toe. Well, the other night, I was on the computer, combing through pictures and I came across some of a little john boat I bought as a surprise for my long-legged half. As I looked at the pictures of that boat... I thought, "Heeeeyy, maybe I've been too hard on myself. Maybe I have more creativity than I've previously thought ...I surely have enough to fill my big toe."

Let me back up a bit... a few years back, we were selling an old washer and dryer that we had in the barn. They just weren't being used. I put up a flyer in town and got a call from a lovely older couple that came out and bought them. We all visited on the barn porch for some time and, during the conversation, the gentleman made mention of an old john boat he had. I called him later and asked him if he wanted to sell it. I thought that some day we could use it for whenever we went camping~ we wouldn't have to fish from the shore, but could go out from the bank. Hey, it may be small, but it's better than the bank for fishing.

The man wanted $50 for it, so after calling/researching other similar size john boats, it was a deal~ so I bought it. It was a bit beat up and needed some paint, but I had a friend of a friend that did paint stuff, so for 75 bucks, he fixed one of seats like new, some dents and painted the inside and out. With $125 in it now, the boat was still a good deal.

Okay, what's this got to do with my big toe and how it could be filled with all my wondrous creativity (ha!)... well, I HAD to name the boat. And since I had a feeling that my other half just might see this as the 'dinky little boat' that it is (and not a top-of-the-line fishing cruiser), I thought I would name it for what she was. Hence, my wee bit of creativity.

Here's the boat and she is...






A little bit after I got the boat, we went camping at Inks Lake and took it. Got a little battery trolling motor and we went all over that lake. As you can see, the lake was no small pond either... and my other half had to admit that the little boat was "Bette R. Thann'Duhbanc".