Pictures are worth a thousand words

Well, you all read that title and knew I wouldn't be able to just put in the pics and leave it at that. You knew I would have something to say, didn't you?

This was the was first time in 29 years that Lanny, Nancy, Kristy, Erica, Craig and Johanna weren't all in one room together for at least a few minutes on Christmas Day. And we managed. We found out that we can celebrate this most Blessed Day with some of ours celebrating Christmas with the other side of the family.

And you know what? It was a good year and great Christmases (two). Maybe next year we will all be together again on Christmas Day . . . and maybe not. But we still will all celebrate the birth of Christ and rejoice in family and kin and little children and it will be good.

We are all in good health. We all have jobs and food enough and roofs over our heads and people that love us and people that we love. Life is good.

































I "plopped" these photos in here and then tried to format them but it wasn't to be. Photos in blogger have a mind of their own, anymore. I cannot make them do what I want.

Princesses, Three

At Craig and Traci's new house, December 2008

IMAX

We needed eight seats -- and therefore we needed walkie talkies! Is that you down there Traci?

Jack can't believe the size of that popcorn! . . . and yes, we did. We did eat all that popcorn.

That is Morghan and Erica way down there! Can hardly see them for the glare off that guy's head! Oh, sorry. Not nice. the stairs are steep and the screen just massive. I held on very tight for awhile when I first climbed up to my seat. Held on with both hands!

These girls were so good and sat and watched the movie until the very end. I assume the boys were very good too . . . oh, Traci! Traci! Were those boys good?

Erica and Morghan were in between and I know Morghan was good. I didn't hear a peep out of her.

I think all eight of us would agree, it was a very good day!

A Sad Day

This was a record setting year for the tomatoes. We had more and nicer tomatoes this year than we have had in years! I have been nursing along some tomatoes that I picked green and brought in at the first hard frost. I wrapped them in newspaper. I stored them in the cool garage. Then I brought them up on the counter so I could check and turn them each day. Today, I ate the last one. I had to throw out three others. It was a good day as that tomato tasted really, really good with the meatloaf gravy! But now there won't be another homegrown tomato for six or seven months. Sad. So sad.

Reindeer Baby

Jack was here this evening. Some Sundays, the Small Frey come here consequetively, perhaps 3 hours at a time. This evening was Jack's turn at Nana's.

Audri adores Jack. The two got to running (chasing) around the living room and PaPa was involved in the play too but no one got hurt.

Thank goodness!

Tired children and/or Silly Children!

The kids had played for 2 or three hours at Aunt Traci and Uncle Craig's new house then we loaded them up and took them to the Science Center to see Polar Express. Three of the five children had been to an IMAX and 1 of the 3 adults had.

This Nana had never been to an IMAX movie and I hadn't see Polar Express so I sure didn't know what to expect. I discovered I loved them both! I loved the movie and I loved the IMAX screen! And, of course, I love to pieces all those children on that bench!

SORRY!!!!!

When the grandchildren were younger, we played Go Fish until we were blue in the face but the next step up was Sorry! First Morghan, then Jack and now Gabby and Joey adore, absolutely adore this game.

This weekend, I found the "Pop up" game that Aunt Kristy gifted us with a year or two back. I thought, OH YES! this is similiar to Sorry but Pop Up game will be shorter, quicker. We'll play Pop Up! Not! Joey and I found out it is not shorter nor quicker and it might have been longer as even Joey gave up on finishing.

A couple of weeks ago, I came across an abbreviated Sorry game in one of the stores. The abbreviated version is supposed to be over in just 20 minutes. Any of you veteran Sorry players know that the old-fashioned Sorry can take hours to be done. Hours plus 100 minutes! One game took HOURS plus three days.

I didn't buy that shortened Sorry game. And no, don't you buy it either. After all, when we stop and think about it, what better way to spend time with our precious grandchildren -- with plenty of opportunity to teach fairness, team work, honesty, reading, writing, physical training AND perseverence. Oh yeah. Perseverence . . .

1208 New House

We braved the snow today and went to Bondurant to check out the new house. Nice!

Craig is getting some painting done so that next weekend when the Pods are delivered, the rooms will be "move in" ready.

Here is the "great room". There is a fine fireplace and big windows looking out over the street. And I say as long as there is no furniture in this room, it is a "great room" to wrestle in!

Well, I'd post more pictures but maybe Traci will want to do that! I'd better ask permission! BTW, it took us 1-1/2 hr to drive home (with Dad driving and snowy roads) so that is not bad at all!

Audri Lu's first view of the Christmas Tree

Audri sat right down and just grinned for a bit. She liked the tree!

Don't know how!

Himself and I spent a leisurely day at home. We had planned to work on the upstairs bathroom. We are replacing the vanity top and putting on new faucets. However, the paneling we had ordered a week ago and that we expected to be able to pick up today, isn't available until next January. If then.

Himself refuses to hook up the water until he can get the material on the wall. I think there should be a way to do a temporary hook up but he's saying not . . . and what do I know.


So, while we wait until NEXT week for a different paneling that we just ordered, today we put up the Christmas tree and got out the Christmas decorations. I have been trying the different settings on my camera trying to get a natural photo of the tree with the lights showing up -- sort of like this collection of Snowmen above. You can tell that is a bunch of snowmen, can't you? Sure you can. Look close!

Anyway, either I just get the LIGHTS of the Christmas tree or I get a Christmas tree in the day light. I can't make it look lit up like these Snowmen. Yes! They are too Snowmen!

Day time tree.

This year we have multi-colored lights on this tree but next year they will all be clear lights, or amber. I don't know how we migrated to multi-colored lights. Guess the clear ones have given out over the years??

Thanksgiving 2008

Half our children were home for Thanksgiving. EJFs went to Kansas City with the in-laws to the Crown Center to see the Christmas lights turned on (and oh yeah, to swim in the pool too, I bet!)

K & T both have to work the day before and the day after Thanksgiving and it is too far to come for the day so they had a nice day planned with lots of exciting food and good company. Tony got to enjoy that day but Kristy was at home sick with the flu. Poor girl!

Johanna didn't have to work although the store was open. Craig & Traci had a couple of days off. Traci has to work Saturday and Sunday but Craig stayed in Des Moines to paint inside the new house. Exciting times for them ahead!

Wednesday afternoon, PaPa took the little ones out to blow some stink off! It was a little cool but it felt good to get out in the fresh air and run and climb!

Gabby or Joey took this photo of their hot headed Nana! We spent Wednesday together and I got a lot of the cooking and prep done for Thursday's dinner. We kept to a simple menu but had plenty of it all and desert on top of that. The only thing I would have added was sweet potatoes for me and Traci. We'll have them at Christmas, Traci! with marshmallows!

Fall Exuberance

The Small ones went at it and soon had a pile of leaves raked in the driveway. A 5' pile. Just right for jumping in to. And jump they did . . . on a bright, crisp Fall day.

31 May 1818 - 29 January 1909

A hundred years ago come January, my Great Great Grandfather, John Brown Hilliard, was probably visiting his daughter in Shannon City and died. Or might have been sick and so went to his daughter's to live out his days. Back then, there were no old age pensions, no Social Security. If you couldn't work, you went to family or friends or to the Poor Farm.

Mary Frances Hilliard, daughter of John B. Hilliard, married Robert B. Austin, Sr. and they settled in Shannon City, IA for a spell. Times were hard and these folks, poor. When John B. Hilliard died there was no money for a gravestone.

One day a hundred years later, John Brown Hilliard's Great Great Grandson had an idea. He would find a stone, have it engraved and would set the stone all before the 100 anniversary of the death.

Gary Lewis Austin, G. G. Grandson of John Brown and Philena Moulton Hilliard, did find the grave site, found a stone, had it engraved and with the help of his children Robert Lewis Austin and April Grace Austin and two granddaughters, Robi and Ashley, set the stone this fine day, 23 November 2008, two months shy of the 100th anniversary of his death.

Run like the wind!

Miss Morghan took a nose dive. She was being chased by . . . boys! Yes, I said boys.

She tripped on a crack in the cement and down she went and like dominoes, Morghan said, down went the boys and Maya.

I think Morghan took the brunt of it!

The inside of her bottom lip is cut.

Gosh, she's so cute! even with a skinned nose!

oh hey! Is that an Orb in there?

Cleaned Out!

I cleaned out the computer room today. Literally. I had been thinking about moving the computer into the fireplace room as we hardly ever use this little room at the front of the house. Himself was resisting. We talked about it a few times and finally this past week, he said "OKAY! JUST DO IT!" LOL I'm kidding -- but then you know how he is. So today, we just did it. Himself has a project going in the upstairs bathroom. He worked there and I worked at cleaning, sorting, throwing! YES, I said "throwing out!"

(There are few leftovers up there. Who wants a paper shredder? There's a color printer if someone wants the expense of those ink cartridges! There's several bulletin boards and lots of miscellaneous. Hey, just come on over and have a walk-through. Take any of it! Take all of it! )

So finally, middle of the afternoon, Himself helped me carry and we moved the big desk, file cabinet, printer and cupboard all into the fireplace room. The hardest trick was getting all the computer/printer/keyboard/mouse/speaker/device cables plugged back into the modem/computer/power surge protector. Finally though, with Himself's assistance, we are up and running again. whew . . . and I'm going to like it!

That plant is strategically placed between me and the neighbor's window!

Little Boy

I've been scanning photos as I've been cleaning off this office desk.

This is the last one (for now).

I asked Himself, how old?

He couldn't tell me but this must be the Kindergarten picture or First Grade.

He started Kindygarden (as we used to say) at age 4.

He's just a little boy in this picture -- a cute little boy!

It's all about memories, isn't it?

Had the day off for Veteran's Day and Dad thought he had to work so I started in cleaning the computer room. There were a thousand pieces of paper on the desk from family history, interesting or useful information, family email and newspaper clippings about births and deaths and milestones.

So Family Tree Maker got updated, my Word.doc address list was modified, a few photos got scanned and then 900 pieces of paper got filed or thrown out. Tonight, I have two to-do files on my desk and my "password" notebook. Oh wait, there is the latest version of Family Tree Maker still waiting to be installed, a newspaper clipping of Dad's Army days needs put back in the scrapbook and a handful of photos to be scanned or filed.

But the intent of this evening's entry was my visit with Granny. After lunch, I went to Afton. Wasn't sure about taking Mom out in the dreary, drizzly day but after hearing her relate a tale about the lost boy next door and then trying to scrape up enthusiasm (on my end) to sit in her stuffy room and read, I said "do you want?" and she said "yes" . . . so we ran. We were off and away for a short ride. We had to stay on the pavement today and off the mud roads so we only rode to Arispe, then Shannon City and around Afton where I have learned to say "you know that is where Mary lives" instead of "do you know who lives there?" There is the Junk Yard house. There is the Green House.

And Mom talked the whole way. Some talk was about the trees and ponds and cattle. She mentioned the hay bales and the rain. She answered questions "were her feet cold" . . . no, she had socks AND shoes on, she told me. Her feet were not cold. Was she too hot? No, she was just opening her coat. Some of the sentences made sense, in fact, a lot of it did, tho simple and brief. Some words wouldn't come or sentences didn't make any sense at all but it didn't matter! Because Mom was out, looking, enjoying and talking and I was so glad we'd gone to the trouble (Mom's trouble) to get out and ride and "blow the stink off!"

Once when I grumbled about others not taking Mom out, a daughter reminded me
that I have been given a precious gift - time alone with my Mother to make special memories . . .

And wasn't that what my whole day was about -- sorting, polishing, sharing memories
both on my desk and computer and then, better yet, with my Mama.

Memories

This was a good day. Kristy and I had the day together (a rarity!) and visited Granny and cemeteries in two or three counties. And a good photo of Kristy and her Granny.




OMG(gosh)! there are ghosts in this photo! I think you two are "sensitive"!

1966

Traci, we need you in here too!

Here's the sad part, you children don't even remember 1966!

Here's a good part. Aunt Linda had her hair exactly like this in one school picture.

That "yearbook.com" or whatever looked pretty fun but I never got there to try on any hair. I did have fun viewing the rest of yous!

Bright Corner

Nature did most of my decorating for me. The tons of pretty yellow leaves were blown up and around. Little volunteer gourds and small volunteer pumpkins that sprouted on their own in the backyard, I threw in the basket and plopped on the chair. I bought a couple of bigger pumpkins and one large yellow Mum. It all added up to equal one bright spot of color.

605: isn't this pretty?

This big ol' Maple tree is the last one to leaf out in the Spring and the last to lose its leaves in the Fall, usually . . . HOWEVER if the conditions are just right, our tree is just plain glorious in Autumn. It is a spendid shade of Gold.

Aunt Carolyn and Uncle Jerry

Jerry and Carolyn were married in March of 1947. This picture is dated June 1947 so they were still newlyweds. Aunt Carolyn was vivacious and lively and Uncle Jerry smitten. He called her "Dolly" the rest of his days.

Carolyn Hope Austin

3/2/1929 - 11/2/2008

Jerry Dean Austin

1/30/1928 - 8/20/2008

My Aunt Frieda

After Uncle Jerry's funeral, I started this entry. I put in this photo of Aunt Frieda but never got anything written. I think Aunt Frieda is lovely and looks exactly like an elderly grandmother (great grandmother and yes, even a great-great grandmother) should look like. When I quit working, I'm going to let my hair grow out and wear it up in a bun. Of course, it won't look as pretty as blonde Aunt Frieda's. Mine will be gray. If I'm really lucky, mine will turn silver like my mother's lovely hair.

Anyway, just this hour I learned that Aunt Frieda's husband, my funny Uncle Joe, died yesterday. Aunt Frieda and Uncle Joe were always my favorite aunt and uncle. Besides the fact that they were both nice, gentle and always had time to talk to a little one, they were sort of fairy tale characters in my life story.

I was the 8th of nine children and born in 1950. Whopping cough was a serious threat to little children, babies and elderly folks. There was no vacination and not much medicines to cure the disease or ease the symptoms. When I was born, my folks thought the older children had been exposed to whooping cough. They couldn't take me home from the hospital for fear that I might be exposed.

Uncle Joe and Aunt Frieda had two boys, probably 5 and 7 years so they got the job of taking home this week-old baby girl. I was always told this story and must have known that Aunt Frieda would have gladly kept and raised me . . . but of course, my parents went and reclaimed me after the threat of the whooping cough.

At Uncle Jerry's funeral, both Uncle Joe and Aunt Frieda knew and recognized their many neices and nephews . . . and I think Uncle Joe even threatened to chew on a few ears!

Uncle Joe

I took a picture of Uncle Joe at the dinner following Uncle Jerry's funeral. He knew he was frowning . . . or at least Uncle Joe knew he wasn't at his best . . . and he said, "take it again".

I did.

He smiled.

And here he is at his best.

Family Tree

My family gave me this for Mother's Day. I am into genealogy and searching the family tree, big time, so this gift meant a lot to me. I should have taken it to a framing shop and had it matted and framed right. Instead, I stuck it in this frame to protect the photo until some later date when I'll get it matted and framed professionally. Meanwhile, it is up and I'll enjoy seeing it every day . . .

Attention: Daughter #1

Sorry about the glare but please read this cereal box. "Lower your Cholesterol 4% in 6 weeks!" okay, my exclamation mark. If you haven't done any reading or research on how to naturally reduce your Cholesterol, just tell your Mama. I'll get started.

It must be Fall at Too

Fall at Too means cleaning the gutters. There are so many trees over/around the cabin that the eve troughs get full of leaves and then the rain water can't run down the spouts but washes over the edge of the troughs and makes mud around the cabin.

There is only one way to get those leaves out . . . and Himself gets the job done!

Roughing it

Visiting Too is not sitting in the the lap of luxury.

Visiting Too is roughing it, making do, doing without.

Here is little Audri, making do at Too . . .

sitting on a pan with a dish towel around her neck for a bib.

But she didn't complain!

Bigger than baseballs

Dad and I cut back the Wisteria vine last fall, on the south side of the house. The vine that grows 20' in a few weeks time. We have worked at keeping it cut down this summer which opened up the side yard to sun. Lots of sun! Gardens like sunshine and we planted a couple of tomato plants in there. I grew, successful, peas and cilatro against the cement wall. We had fresh lettuce and spinach from the side garden and it was there, I tried (unsuccessfully) to grow and harvest from the hot bed. sigh . . . it snowed and snowed and wouldn't warm up and I had to pull the plug . . . but maybe next winter.

Look at these tomatoes! This is what we grew in the south garden this summer. The tomatoes prospered and we enjoyed them (especially me!)

Now the vines are begining to die back but I have a volunteer tomato on the ground with twice as many tomatoes waiting to ripen. The vines are still green and growing. I am going to save seed from this hardy tomato. I'll grow them next year! Someday I hope to have vine ripened tomatoes twelve months of the year!

Missed some of this . . .

What a crazy summer; seems as tho it just got here and now it has got up and went!

I have been doing some sorting, organizing and filing some of the thousands of digital photos I have.

Here is one that I enjoy from summer of 07 . . . an inquisitive, brave little girl. She has a fascination with fish, I think. Comes by that naturally tho!