We Made It Through Christmas

Both kids made it home for Christmas. My daughter brought her boyfriend but our daughter-in-law isn't here yet so our son came alone.



BIG NEWS! My son is flying to England on Jan. 9 and flying home with his wife on Jan. 13! Please pray that everything goes smoothly and they arrive in the US safe and sound.



Not much happening, Christmas went well. Nobody got a lot of presents but it was great having all of us together. I suppose next year my daughter will go home with her boyfriend for Christmas. We'll probably go to Iowa with my son and daughter-in-law. I hope all of you had a very special Christmas this year!



Remember our military HEROES!!! They all need our support and prayers.

It's Been A Month

We've got snow! The plows have been out and the neighbors have been snow-blowing and shoveling. It looks like we'll have a white Christmas. Both my son and daughter will be here. My daughter-in-law got her call from London and her interview is Dec. 7 - Pearl Harbor Day - so we're hoping everything will go well. The plan now is for my son to fly over after Christmas and then the 2 of them will fly back here together. Keep the prayers going!

Remember our troops. They are fighting for OUR FREEDOM and they are our HEROES! They need all the prayers we can muster. Keep the prayers going for all of them!

Halloween's Over

We didn't get trick-or-treated to death this year. There just weren't too many kids out and about. I think there are getting to be more and more church activities, school activities and a lot of trunk-or-treat gatherings going on now. We have lot of left-overs so I'll leave all that candy for my husband to eat!

It you get a chance, go to YouTube.com and search for Zucchero. He is an Italian blues singer and is quite good. He's got an interesting look about him, too. He sang with Luciano Pavarotti at some of the benefits for children.

No daughter-in-law here yet. She got her very last round of papers sent in to the American Embassy in London so we're hoping she'll get here soon. Maybe for Christmas? Who knows.

Let's pray for lower oil prices.

Ready for Halloween

Tomorrow is the day for all the witches, ghosts, goblins, etc. to come out in full force and "trick or treat" you to death! Have your candy ready!

If you enjoy music, be sure and google or youtube an Italian singer Zucchero. He has an awesome voice! Most of his music is in Italian but it's still beautiful to listen to. He apparently can speak Italian, Spanish and English quite well. Check him out.

My son and his wife did celebrate their first wedding anniversary together! He flew to England just for the celebration. He got back here on Monday and leaves again on Thursday to go to Puerto Rico for a work-related trip. Keep the prayers going for our daughter-in-law to be called in for her interview at the American Embassy in London and then on to the US.

"A lie gets half way around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." ~Winston Churchill

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHN LENNON!!!!!

Today is John Lennon's birthday and he would be 67 years old. Imagine, a Beatle, being that old! Wow, Ringo turned 67 in July. Paul was 65 in June and George is the youngest and he would be 64 until next Feb.

Speaking of the English, we went to see Elton John on Sunday evening. What a concert, it was great beyond words. He played and sang for 2 1/2 hours with no break. He concluded his concert with my favourite: Your Song.

I just found out that my daughter and her fella will probably be here for Christmas! Last year they were in ND. Now if my daughter-in-law can get over here (cut through all the legal red tape) maybe she will be coming here, too. Please say prayers for the American Embassy in London to call her in for her interview so she can move here to be with her husband, my son. Their first anniversary is the end of this month and they would like to be together again by then.

Remember: F. R. O. G. Fully rely on GOD.

A Sad Day

We attended the funeral of a good church friend today. He was only 49 and died of a heart attack. It was very sad.

Fall is definitely in the air and tomorrow we'll do some fall clean-up around our house. My peonies need to be cut down as well as most of my other plants. The leaves are falling so raking will soon come into the picture.

Our weather has been crazy lately. It's cold, it's hot, it just can't make up it's mind! We wear sweatshirts in the morning and peel them off by noon. At least we don't need the air conditioner and can keep our windows open.

I'll leave with a quote from Ward Cleaver who, if you are old enough, is Leave it to Beaver Cleaver's father.--

"Family's one place where you're always wanted."

Remembering 9-11

Where were you on 9-11? I was in Norwich England on the campus of the University of East Anglia. I was in another country and I knew that I would have to fly to get back home. It's very frightening to see your buildings being demolished. BBC TV had very good coverage and we watched intently for several days. Thankfully things had settled down a bit by the time we flew back to the good old USA. I got off the plane in Minneapolis singing "God Bless America" and rejoiced that I was back home safely.


Remember all those that have given their lives to keep us free. Remember all those that are still out there fighting for our freedom. Pray that we all stay strong and support our troops!


Thought for the day:
Why is it that our children can't read a Bible in school, but they can in prison?

Rockin' with TED NUGENT!!!!!!!

It's been a pretty quiet week until tonight! Ted Nugent was in SD! His music is LOUD and my ears are still ringing! I don't care for his music but I LOVE his politics! He recognized Governor Mike Rounds and Senator John Thune. He sent his best wishes and prayers to Tim Johnson. Then he said, "Tom Daschle, kiss my ass!" He is a definite Republican and conservative and I like that. He recognized all the military personnel and played "The Star Spangled Banner". It was loud, it was noisy and it was right-wing. Enough said.

This is the day that the Lord has made.
We should be glad and rejoice in it.

Time to Catch Up

Our trip to Kansas was great! There were 10 cousins there of the 16 of us that are still alive. We lost Richard 15 years ago from a heart attack. My aunt and uncle looked wonderful and they have a grand time at their anniversary celebration! It was hot and humid down there and we all enjoyed the air conditioning.

I spent 5 days with my new little great-nephew in ND. I had so much fun! We went to the mall, we took walks, wow, we had a super time! He's starting to "talk" so we had some very profound conversations! His parents went to Las Vegas to see Celine Dionne and they said she was terrific!

This weekend my kids came home and we went to see Weird Al Yankovic! It was quite a concert. We had a lot of fun and enjoyed the carnival after the concert was over. My kids met up with high school friends and had some good "catching up" time.

Today both kids headed home. My daughter and her boyfriend headed back to ND and my son went east to Iowa. We're hoping his wife will soon get to come to the US from England. Immigration is mighty slow. Their first wedding anniversary is Oct. 28 so we're hoping she'll be back here by then. She had to return to England the first part of Feb.

I think our travels are over for a long time. We both need our home time. We're going to see the Oak Ridge Boys tonight as that is the group that closes the week of activities. It's right here in town so we won't have to travel.

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those that matter don't mind." --Dr. Seuss

Here, There and Here Again

Chicago was great! We had a super time and the meetings were very valuable, too. Wonderful acommodations, great food, met some new people and caught up with some old friends.

I spent the last week in ND with my daughter. We cleaned, sorted, threw, organized and took a large load to the Salvation Army. Everything certainly looks better!

I got home Monday afternoon and my daughter is coming here this evening. Tomorrow morning we will leave for Kansas. My aunt and uncle are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary! We will get to visit with a lot of my relatives. My daughter hasn't been there in over 10 years so she is really looking forward to this trip, too.

About a week after we get back I will again be traveling to ND. My great-nephew, who was born the end of May, will be mine for a few days! His parents are taking a short vacation so I get to be his primary care-giver, you know, rocking, singing, playing, it will be fun!

Hope your week is going well! Remember to say a prayer for the victims and their families in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Leaving Again

It was nice to be home for a while but now we're getting ready to fly to Chicago next Wednesday. Our plane leaves at 6am so we'll have to be on the road around 3:30 or 4, ugh! My husband has more meetings so off we go again.

We'll have about 3 weeks at home and then we'll go to Kansas for my family reunion. That will be fun as I will get to see a lot of my cousins. I think our daughter is going to drive down with us. She hasn't been there in over 10 years! Our son will be staying in Iowa and we hope his wife will be with him by then. She's in England waiting for her permanent visa to come back over here.

Not much going on. The 4th was hot so we stayed inside and watched fireworks on tv. We did cook out, hotdogs, and they were very good. Our butcher recommended Lane's hotdogs and they were tasty!

"Have you thanked the Lord?
Have you praised God's name?
Don't you know that no tomorrow is quite the same?
Have you thanked the Lord?
Have you knelt in prayer,
and rejoiced that, rain or sunshine, our God is there?"

Back Home Again

What a ride! I spent last week in Iowa with my son. We had a great time! I met some of his co-workers and had supper with them! He is playing cricket so we went to Des Moines for a cricket match. He wasn't playing that day but it was definitely fun to watch. My husband came on Saturday so he went to the cricket match with us. After that we went to the new mall in Des Moines, wandered around and had lunch. We left Iowa on Monday and headed for Omaha. My husband had meetings so we were there until Wednesday noon. Boy did we eat! My gosh we were fed very well, in fact too much! It felt good to finally get home and just eat when you were hungry. Our cat was very glad to see us. It's a beautiful day here and we still have the windows open! No AC today, we're breathing fresh air!

Have a good one!

Rest in Peace and Start Anew

It is so sad to attend a funeral because you have lost a loved on, even if it's an older person. It was a sad occasion but we were surrounded by family we hadn't seen in several years and that is very special. I have always thought that funerals were more for the living than the dead. Once we have ended our life on this Earth we are immediately taken to spend eternity with God. The funeral is for our Earthly bodies to finalize our end here. People gather together and mourn for the deceased. After the funeral we all share a meal and rejoice in the fact that we are all together once again for fellowship. If only we could join together like this for births, baptisms and weddings.

I am now in Iowa with my son. We'd been talking about me staying with him for a while this summer and this seemed to work out just right. I rode with him and my husband will pick me up this coming weekend and we'll go to NE for a 3-day meeting. It's a long time away from home for me but at least we'll be dealing with only 1 car and not 2. There's a Curves here and Weight Watchers so I'll be getting in my exercise and continuing to count my points.

Praying that God will keep you all safe!

The End of the Trail

It's been a long and happy life for my 97-year-old mother-in-law. She peacefully passed away on Sat. June 9 with her family surrounding her. The funeral is this Friday so once again we will head north for our last visit with Ruth. We are praying for good weather and safe travel as we turn and go to ND.

A Quick Trip

Everyone got home safely and then Friday morning we left for Rapid City. It's quite a drive but with the 4 of us nobody got too tired from driving. The wedding was wonderful! I am so glad we were there to share in T & L's happiness! On the way back home we stopped at the famous Wall Drug and had lunch. We've stopped there a few times before but it has been quite a while ago. It was fun.

Today my daughter headed back to ND and my son took off heading east for IA. My husband went north to ND to visit his mother, she's in a home, is 97 and not doing too well. We think she might have shingles - ugh!

It was fun to have the 4 of us together again for a bit.

The drive to Rapid and back was beautiful! They've had a lot of rain west river so all the fields were green for a change. There's been a severe drought out there for quite a while so all the rain was welcomed.

I'm home alone for a couple of days so will get a lot of cleaning and laundry done! Also the grass needs to be mowed and my husband left me in charge, hmmm, now if we get rain tomorrow.......

A Brand New Great-Nephew!

I went to Fargo for a wedding and was so happy to see people I hadn't seen in about 20 years so that was fun. Also, my niece gave birth to a boy, Fischer, and I was right there in the hospital! My daughter did the video as the proud daddy was right there in the action, cutting the cord, etc. He was soooooo excited! Little Fischer is bright and looking good! I think they went home yesterday. Congrats to Nik and Chris!

I just get home from Fargo and I'm gearing up to leave for Rapid City on Friday. The happy couple made it to England for my son's wedding in October so we're more than happy for the drive out west for their wedding. Both my kids will be coming home so we'll all drive out together. My husband will be coming, too. He's been so busy delivering seed and he thinks it's about over. He needs a break so we'll all take turns driving and he won't have to.

It's raining again so the grass will grow and I will mow. The bedding plants are getting a good watering, too.

Remember what Winston Churchill once said:

"When you're going through hell, keep going!"

Beautiful Day!

Things have been pretty busy around here. My husband has been very busy delivering seed and making sure everyone has what they need. I've been keeping up with the mowing and getting the bedding plants potted. The weather has been fantastic! Now, if it just wouldn't get any warmer than it is right now (80F) we would have a great summer.

There is a shower for a friend that had a baby about 5 weeks ago and I ordered a Bumbo Chair for her. It actually came today so I can take it to the shower. I didn't think it would get here so soon but so glad that it did!

We've got 3 graduations tomorrow and 3 more on Sunday so we'll be busy with them. Next weekend we'll be going to North Dakota for a wedding and a graduation. Then the weekend after that we'll be in Rapid City, SD for another wedding. That should be the bulk of our traveling.

It's Friday and we're going to grill pork chops! We might eat late but pork chops are always good on the grill. Have a wonderful weekend!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Hooray! My son and daughter-in-law got email and written confirmation that their papers are being processed and have passed! Now all they need is the interview at the American Embassy in London! We are getting closer!

What a bunch of rotten weather we've had. We were at a wedding on Saturday evening and had no idea that there was a tornado warning for our immediate area! The emergency sirens weren't working in the north part of town so we just went right along with the wedding totally unaware that we should be seeking shelter. Thankfully the tornado went east of us. The tornado did hit east of town and did some damage to houses and farm buildings but there were no injuries. The river is to exceed flood stage by the end of the week and it is very high right now! I drove out to one of my jobs this morning and had to turn around and take a different route because the road was flooded! I couldn't even see the bridge! It sounds like we could get more storms this coming weekend. We are praying that they won't be severe. Keep the survivors and victims of the Greensburg, KS storm in your prayers.

Earthquake in England!

Wow, my daughter-in-law called from England and they were in the county of Kent that had the earthquake Sat. morning. She felt it, their house shook for about 30 seconds! Please say a prayer for her, she is waiting for her papers to be processed and for the call to go to the US Embassy in London for an interview so she can move over here and be with her husband (my son). He is lonely and missing her as she is him. Other than that, it has been very quiet around here. Today is a beautiful day and my husband is out delivering seed (dragging his little trailer behind him)! I think we're going to grill when he gets home. It's light out until 8:00 now. It would be nice to have this much light in the winter when we only get about 9 hours of daylight. Thank God for life!

Rain Again

Wow, it's been raining for a couple of days now! Last night we had a lot of thunder and lightning plus rain. Parts of the state got tennis ball size hail and it did a lot of damage! We went to church this morning and our Bell Choir played it's last service until we resume practice in the fall. Our Celebration Choir also sang so I was busy this morning. Later this evening we went to a neighbor's house for steak on the grill, deer steak, and it was very good! We also enjoyed the good company. We're ready for the new week and hope you are, too!

It's Raining Some More

We had a couple days of great weather but today it's been cloudy and rainy. Our sump pumps are running like mad! It's been a basic day with not much out of the ordinary. Our bell choir went out for supper last night as it was our last practice for the year. I am watching "Gray's Anatomy" which is one I haven't seen. That's about as exciting as it's been today so I'll close. Keep the VT students in your thoughts and prayers.

Is It Really Spring?

Since Easter we have had winter again! There was a healthy amount of snow and rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, the 10th and 11th. Since Saturday we have had real spring temps. We're opening windows and airing out the house and all of those other spring things! But, living in SD you never know when you'll need your coat and boots again;) Today has been just beautiful!

Say prayers for the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy. Also remember their families and the victims that have been hospitalized. satan is too alive and well in our world.

Easter Sunday

We have had a wonderful time in Iowa with our son. We are now getting ready to leave and go home. Our son will be flying to England on Tuesday to be with his wife for about 10 days. We're still hoping that she will be able to come back to the US very soon. We went to church this morning and then I cooked our Easter meal. We'll be heading for home shortly and I know our cat will be overjoyed to see us! I hope all of you had a very good Easter and spent some quality time with family and friends.

Celebrate Easter

Boy did it get cold! We'd had such nice warm weather and now it's below freezing and supposed to get into the teens tonight. Brrrrr! Friday we're off to Iowa to spend Easter with our son. He's providing the menu and I'm cooking. His wife is English and is waiting for all her papers to be processed so she can move over here. She was here for 90 days after they were married (in England) and now waits for the US to determine if all her papers are in order so she can rejoin her husband and get a green card. She's an elementary teacher and would like to teach in the US. Right now she's living in Dover, England with her parents until the US Embassy in London calls and requests her presence for an interview. We're hoping things will move quickly and she'll be over here by summer. We would appreciate any prayers on her behalf. Have a spectacular Easter!

What a Great Weekend!

My friend and I had so much fun in Fargo! We went on Friday and it rained the whole 5 hours it took us to get there. It rained all day Saturday and today it snowed until we were about 2 hours from home. (Glad I didn't drive.) The Clapton concert was super and it was his 62nd birthday. We went shopping (of course) with my daughter and had some delicious meals! It was kind of a slow go home but we were both glad to be back. We're planning another "girls only" trip but haven't decided where to go yet.

Keep On Raining!

It's been raining all day and is it ever welcome! The whole state is dry and we need the moisture so keep it coming! My tulips are coming up and there are robins all over - spring is here! I am sooooo excited about going to see Eric Clapton on Friday! It will be a great weekend with my friend and there won't be any men to get in the way while we shop. Church tomorrow and we play bells so I need to get there early. I finally get my hair trimmed on Monday. I'm trying to grow it out a little bit and it's hard because of the strange waves I get! Hopefully I can work with it enough and have a different look, I've looked the same since 1980, I need a new do.

I'm Still Here

Yes, it has been over a week since my last entry. It's been basically the "same old" but busy! Sunday I went to Sioux Falls to see the opera "The Marriage of Figaro" by Mozart. It was very entertaining, I really like opera. We ate at the Olive Garden and the food was very good. I went to Weight Watchers this morning and did lose a scant .4 lb. Yes, that's point four pounds. I am really looking forward to the 30th, I'm going to Fargo to see Eric Clapton in concert. I'll also get to visit my daughter and my niece! It's going to be a fun weekend. We have church tonight and I think that we play bells, we have practice right before the service. Our weather today has been cloudy but on the warm side. I've seen a lot of robins around so I know spring is here! Hope your day is happy!

Another beautiful day only a tad bit cooler, but still it felt nice! We had some more reports of gas leaks so there were more evacuations until things were fixed/sorted out. We've had a lot of temperature fluctuations this winter and that could be part of the problem. I guess we'll have to all be on the look (or should I say "smell") out for that nasty natural gas odor. Remember to attend church this Sunday, we're creeping closer and closer to Easter!

A Long Day

It was Twins Tuesday today so I was busy! And it was a long day, too. I was there from 8am to 6pm! It was another beautiful day! Almost all the snow is gone, we are all celebrating spring and hoping it stays around. Nothing real exciting went on today. Tomorrow is Wednesday so we'll have Lenten services at church.

Quite a Nice Day

What a beautiful day! Warm enough for shirt sleeves! The motorcyclists were out in full force and there were a lot of convertible tops down. I spent the morning and part of the afternoon at church. There was a funeral and I helped in the kitchen with the meal. There were a lot of people in attendance. I went to Curves and visited with a lady that lives across the street from the house that exploded and she was home at the time. She had quite a story to tell. That was the extent of the day, very boring but sometimes boring is good!

The Exploding House!

Well, Thursday started off with a bang, literally! Around 11:30 I heard this huge boom and the whole house shook, the windows rattles! The cat and I jumped about 10 feet! Then the sirens started all over and my neighbor walked outside. He said a house had exploded about 16 blocks from us. Fortunately nobody was injured or killed. The houses on both sides of the exploded house will have to be demolished because of so much structural damage. Apparently there was a leak or break in the natural gas pipe underground in front of the house. It sounds like the gas filled up in the basement and exploded. We drove by after church this morning and there's nothing left, just a big black hole with junk sticking out. It is a mess. Other than that our weather has been beautiful! It's hard to believe a week ago we were cleaning up after a blizzard. Now most of the snow has melted. Hopefully everyone remembered to "spring ahead"!!!

No Sun

What a dreary day! No sun, just lots of clouds. I had errands to run so kept busy. This evening is the soup supper and Lenten service at church so I need to get ready for that. We have choir tonight but no bell choir. I think we might be singing in church but I don't remember. At least I know I'll be home early since all our pracitces are before the service. Tomorrow will be busy - I go to take care of my 2 girls, one is 5 and the other 3. I just bought "Peter Pan" so maybe we'll watch that and then do an art project. They both just love to do art! Have a good evening, I'll have more to share tomorrow!

A Working Day

I went to my twins' house today and were those two little people busy! They are 2 1/2 years old and in the midst of potty training. Their mother said they had been dry all day yesterday. Of course that came to a screeching halt today! Little JJ had 2 stinky diapers today (I'm glad I kept the pullup on him before breakfast and after nap) and wet his pants at lunch. LE wet once. There was a puddle on the floor and I didn't see it so I actually sat in part of it. So I got my sweats out of the car and wore them the rest of the day. I love them to death so it's more of an "oh, well" and let's keep on going. I get so tickled because they both love to change clothes. They go to their rooms and pick out anything and put it on. JJ had 3 shirts on this morning and LE had on pinks and purples that clashed. Their mother doesn't mind and it keeps them happy so we go through this changing clothes thing several times a day. I do enjoy the little stinkers and look forward to my Tuesdays with the Twins!

Back to the Regular

Today was cloudy, all day long, but it was much warmer than it had been. Everything was back to normal. We finally got a little bit of mail after 3 days with none. We'll probably get much more tomorrow. And tomorrow we could be seeing some sleet/freezing rain. I'm not looking forward to that. All in all today's been uneventful so I will close. Have a good evening!

It's a Great Sunday!

Wow, sun all over today! We got up to go to first service at church and it was packed! Everybody was thanking God that the blizzard was over. My little people sang so well. I just love doing the singing with them. We're still clearing off the driveway, just the stuck on stuff. The sun gets part of it but we face the north so we don't get a lot of sun. All the snow is off of the roof, thanks to my husband, so we're all settled in for a quiet evening.

It's a bright, sunny day! The sun is shining, the sky is blue, people are out moving, life is good! The rest of the week looks great with above freezing temps so the snow will melt. It's great!

Snow, Snow, Snow

It's still snowing and blowing! We've gotten over 16 inches so far and it's still coming down. We are told that this should all be done by 6am Saturday morning. We're not starting the snowblower again until tomorrow, when the snow stops. I hear the beer sales are way up in our area!

It's supposed to quit tomorrow morning

Day 3 and it's still snowing and blowing! We have interstates and most other roads/highways closed. I'm glad we're safe inside and hope everyone else is, too. We can still get around in town and we have 4-wheel-drive so going to the grocery store isn't too bad. We haven't had any mail as none of the trucks can come in or go out. This is the biggest storm we've had since the humdinger in '97. I haven't heard of anyone getting stranded so maybe we can get through this without any fatalities.

More snow

Well, it's finally quit snowing but the wind is blowing like crazy! My husband has used the snowblower today and with the prediction of another blizzard coming through tonight, I suppose he'll be using it again tomorrow. I think we've gotten about 16 inches so far and who knows how much more we'll get tonight and tomorrow. Our birds are eating and eating so we've filled all the feeders 3 times and the squirrels are eating their fill, too. We've had a pretty mild winter so I guess we're just catching up. As the old saying goes, if March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb. It that's true we should have a terrific end of March.

It's a snowy day

It's been snowing all day and we now have over 6 inches of the white stuff. I filled the feeders this morning and the birds and squirrels have been crazy at it! We're supposed to get more snow tomorrow into Friday so don't know if there will be school or not. It's beautiful to look at and with 4-wheel-drive we can get right through it!