Growing up as the child of Ranchers/Cow folk, I didn't go on vacation every summer. Reasons for this include:
Not having the money for a vacation
Summers are busy times with harvest, and County Fairs, and getting ready for County Fairs
Dad didn't trust anyone else to take care of the cattle
Really, the first and last ones there were the biggest reasons we didn't do vacations. Actually, the last reason is the main reason we didn't take vacations!
I can remember three vacations...one trip to Colorado Springs/Limon, Colorado for a Woodruff/Smiley reunion. I was 5 or 6. The second vacation was to Red River, New Mexico when I was 8 or 9 and the last one was when I was 15 or 16 and we went to Branson, Missouri.
On our Colorado trip, I really remember bits and pieces of being at the Family Reunion and going to the North Pole near Colorado Springs. The trip to Red River, I remember we stayed in a cabin. I remember it got cold at night and Steve and I loved playing in the creek--which was COLD! I also remember watching hummingbirds.
I do remember more of the Branson trip. I remember we packed a lunch and ate it in a park in Winfield, Kansas. I remember Mom worrying about us being able to find a hotel room in Branson and Dad telling her to not worry, they'd have plenty of rooms. I remember Mom also being worried that we wouldn't be able to find our way out to Silver Dollar City, and Dad telling her that he'd bet all we'd have to do was follow the traffic. (Dad's more fly by the seat of his pants, and Mom's more of a planner. On this trip, we tended to "fly" which caused Mom some stress, but she did really well!) I remember the traffic crawling all the way out to Silver Dollar City, and thinking we'd N.E.V.E.R. get there!
I remember loving the "Fire in the Hole" ride. I remember Mom picking out a mirrored picture with dried flowers behind glass. It hung in our living room for years and years. (Do you still have it Mom? Because I think I could find a spot for it at my house!) I remember being fascinated by the craft demonstrations. And I remember that on the next day, we went to a water park and had a blast.
It's interesting...like my family, Kevin's family didn't do many "real" vacations. They spent most of their vacations back in Ohio, visiting family. So neither Kev nor I have a real tradition of taking vacations. We neither one feel neglected, or feel like we've missed out on anything.
We always intended to go on vacations. We went to Ohio three times to visit family and one summer, we, with Kev's folks, drove to Niagara Falls. We vacationed once in Corpus Christi. We spent several summers camping with friends and family up near Steamboat Springs. But there have also been several summers when we've not taken a vacation. And the only vacation where it was "just" we four was the trip to Corpus Christi!
Our family vacations have been at the forefront of my mind these past couple of weeks because Kev and I "planned" a rather spontaneous vacation to Branson for our family this past week.
Andy graduated from college last month. He earned his Fire Science/EMT degree, passed his National exams and found a job. In three weeks, he'll begin his career as a Firefighter/EMT for the City of Liberal Kansas. For some reason, it hit Kevin and I that this could be our last chance for a family vacation that would consist of "just we four."
So, Kev told me to figure out a place we could go that was relatively close and somewhere we'd never gone before. I picked Branson--probably because it was the last vacation destination that my family had gone on, I have fond memories of it, and it was somewhere new for Kev and the kids. So, unlike my folks, and thanks to the Web, I booked a room in advance, bought tickets to Silver Dollar City in advance, and we went on vacation.
We had a great time!
Showing posts with label Kev and family life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kev and family life. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 02, 2013
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
A weekend at the farm
Kev and I spent the weekend at the farm--just the two of us. It was a working weekend, we cut down a lot of cedar trees--big and little. I know we cut 18 big trees down, but we also took some hedge clippers around and cut down trees that were smaller than 2" in diameter. We didn't count those, but I'm guessing we cut down 100 or so little weeds...I mean trees. They are an invasive species here, so getting them out will help the other trees, grass, native wildlife and the water level in the creek.
While we worked, we commented repeatedly to each other about how much we both love the farm. It's been a part of my life forever, but to have Kev love and appreciate it as well means a great deal to me...more than I could ever express. My heart just swells when he'll talk about the farm, or when he mentions how we'll hopefully live there...someday, or that all our hard sweaty work is worth it because we're making it our home. Knowing it's our dream and not just mine is special.
I have so many childhood memories of the farm that I sometimes forget that many of my cousins feel the same way about it. I was enlightened this weekend, as one of my cousin's had a nut fry and we were invited. Upon learning that Kev and I were camping out at the farm, they all mentioned how much they loved going out there, taking their children and grandchildren out to just walk around, look around, sometimes camp, and remember.
Since Steve (my brother) and I were amongst the youngest grandchildren, our memories are probably insignificant compared to those of many of our cousins. After all, they were adults or almost adults when the Tornado took the farmhouse. Steve and I were 8 and 9. I shouldn't be surprised that the farm means so much to all of us...but I am...somewhat...
I'm sitting here, trying to decide why the farm is so important to us all. For we Woodruff kids, some is probably our memories of being there with Grandma and Grandad. But for our spouses to appreciate and love it just as much tells me that there's something special about the place that just tugs at the heartstrings and brings a sense of peace and belonging to the soul.
I think that sense of belonging is what hit home for Kev and I this weekend. We awoke each morning at the farm content, happy and at home. Nothing is better than that.
While we worked, we commented repeatedly to each other about how much we both love the farm. It's been a part of my life forever, but to have Kev love and appreciate it as well means a great deal to me...more than I could ever express. My heart just swells when he'll talk about the farm, or when he mentions how we'll hopefully live there...someday, or that all our hard sweaty work is worth it because we're making it our home. Knowing it's our dream and not just mine is special.
I have so many childhood memories of the farm that I sometimes forget that many of my cousins feel the same way about it. I was enlightened this weekend, as one of my cousin's had a nut fry and we were invited. Upon learning that Kev and I were camping out at the farm, they all mentioned how much they loved going out there, taking their children and grandchildren out to just walk around, look around, sometimes camp, and remember.
Since Steve (my brother) and I were amongst the youngest grandchildren, our memories are probably insignificant compared to those of many of our cousins. After all, they were adults or almost adults when the Tornado took the farmhouse. Steve and I were 8 and 9. I shouldn't be surprised that the farm means so much to all of us...but I am...somewhat...
I'm sitting here, trying to decide why the farm is so important to us all. For we Woodruff kids, some is probably our memories of being there with Grandma and Grandad. But for our spouses to appreciate and love it just as much tells me that there's something special about the place that just tugs at the heartstrings and brings a sense of peace and belonging to the soul.
I think that sense of belonging is what hit home for Kev and I this weekend. We awoke each morning at the farm content, happy and at home. Nothing is better than that.
Monday, May 09, 2011
Big City people
Kevin and I played "Country Mouse" this weekend, and went to the big city. Kansas City. Actually, we were never in KC proper, but spent most of our time in Overland Park.
Kev had a special continuing ed workshop to go to and he asked me to go along to navigate and to go to Cabela's with him. We left from work at noon on Friday. We drove up along Highway 50 which is a route we've never taken before. We were rolling along quite nicely until we were 3 miles southwest of Ottawa.
We had a flat.
On the Interstate.
We managed to put on the small spare and stopped at the Walmart store in Ottawa. (And God Bless Walmart for building near Interstate Highways, and for having tire shops.) We thought it was just a leak, but discovered that the tire had a split in it. No idea what we hit, but we must have run over something that destroyed our tire. Kevin was not happy with the tire situation. In fact, he muttered and grumbled about it for quite a while. Lord, did he ever gripe and complain!
We made it to our hotel without any further mishaps. We navigated our way without once getting turned around or lost, or on the wrong street. I was proud of us because we neither one had been anywhere in the KC area. We've driven through it, on I-70, but we've never spent any time there. We got directions to a fantastic seafood restaurant, Bristol, which is in the Town Center area. The food was great, and it cost more than we are used to spending on a meal, but it was a nice experience.
Saturday, Kev had his class. I took my time getting around that morning, went for a walk, and then drove to Town Center to do some shopping. I didn't buy anything because the stores there weren't really what I was looking for, but I enjoyed walking around and spending an hour in Barnes & Noble.
Kev's class was over around 5. We hopped into the car and headed north to Cabela's. But, I forgot my map. I remembered enough from the map, that we found it without any problem. Kev only had to do one U-turn, and he didn't gripe about my navigation skills very long.
We had a great time in Cabela's looking around at things, buying things that weren't on our list, not buying things that were on our list... We also enjoyed looking at the exhibits. They have an excellent Mule Deer exhibit of trophy deer. We spent quite a bit of time looking through the exhibits. They are almost as much fun as shopping!
We got back to the hotel around 9:30 p.m. Navigating back south was a little trickier than our trip north. We knew we had to get off at exit 6A, but which lane proved to be a little challenging to Kev. I navigated correctly, but he says that I didn't give him enough information...whatever. Thankfully, there wasn't much traffic, so we didn't cause any accidents or harm to anyone getting into the correct lane for the correct exit.
I think it was at this point that we both agreed that we are much better off living out in the boonies where there isn't any traffic...or people.
We made good time coming home. We made a quick stop in Wichita at Tractor Supply where I bought myself a pair of Fat Babies boots. Kev found a gun safe he wanted, but it wouldn't fit into the car...so we didn't get it. (I tried tho, I tried to get him to go back and get it. Stubborn man...)
We got home safely and were glad to be back in our own little world. WE enjoyed our short trip to the city, but like Dorothy, we know there's no place like home.
Kev had a special continuing ed workshop to go to and he asked me to go along to navigate and to go to Cabela's with him. We left from work at noon on Friday. We drove up along Highway 50 which is a route we've never taken before. We were rolling along quite nicely until we were 3 miles southwest of Ottawa.
We had a flat.
On the Interstate.
We managed to put on the small spare and stopped at the Walmart store in Ottawa. (And God Bless Walmart for building near Interstate Highways, and for having tire shops.) We thought it was just a leak, but discovered that the tire had a split in it. No idea what we hit, but we must have run over something that destroyed our tire. Kevin was not happy with the tire situation. In fact, he muttered and grumbled about it for quite a while. Lord, did he ever gripe and complain!
We made it to our hotel without any further mishaps. We navigated our way without once getting turned around or lost, or on the wrong street. I was proud of us because we neither one had been anywhere in the KC area. We've driven through it, on I-70, but we've never spent any time there. We got directions to a fantastic seafood restaurant, Bristol, which is in the Town Center area. The food was great, and it cost more than we are used to spending on a meal, but it was a nice experience.
Saturday, Kev had his class. I took my time getting around that morning, went for a walk, and then drove to Town Center to do some shopping. I didn't buy anything because the stores there weren't really what I was looking for, but I enjoyed walking around and spending an hour in Barnes & Noble.
Kev's class was over around 5. We hopped into the car and headed north to Cabela's. But, I forgot my map. I remembered enough from the map, that we found it without any problem. Kev only had to do one U-turn, and he didn't gripe about my navigation skills very long.
We had a great time in Cabela's looking around at things, buying things that weren't on our list, not buying things that were on our list... We also enjoyed looking at the exhibits. They have an excellent Mule Deer exhibit of trophy deer. We spent quite a bit of time looking through the exhibits. They are almost as much fun as shopping!
We got back to the hotel around 9:30 p.m. Navigating back south was a little trickier than our trip north. We knew we had to get off at exit 6A, but which lane proved to be a little challenging to Kev. I navigated correctly, but he says that I didn't give him enough information...whatever. Thankfully, there wasn't much traffic, so we didn't cause any accidents or harm to anyone getting into the correct lane for the correct exit.
I think it was at this point that we both agreed that we are much better off living out in the boonies where there isn't any traffic...or people.
We made good time coming home. We made a quick stop in Wichita at Tractor Supply where I bought myself a pair of Fat Babies boots. Kev found a gun safe he wanted, but it wouldn't fit into the car...so we didn't get it. (I tried tho, I tried to get him to go back and get it. Stubborn man...)
We got home safely and were glad to be back in our own little world. WE enjoyed our short trip to the city, but like Dorothy, we know there's no place like home.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Spring projects
It's been a busy time at our house lately. We've spent hours getting Miss Kat to look like this:
She was asked to Prom by a Junior boy. Shopping for the dress was...interesting...especially since Miss Kat likes to shop and I detest shopping. But, she looked beautiful and had a great time at her first prom, her first after-prom and her first after-after-prom.
The babies are growing. I've started weaning them so they can hopefully go home soon.
It's a new grape arbor for my grapevines. I think I could set a bench out there during the summer months and just enjoy the view as well.
Here's what he did for the top:
A closer view of the sidewalls, including grapevines:
He's just a clever guy. I think I'll keep him around for a while. After all, we have a lot of cedar trees to cut down and use somewhere!
She was asked to Prom by a Junior boy. Shopping for the dress was...interesting...especially since Miss Kat likes to shop and I detest shopping. But, she looked beautiful and had a great time at her first prom, her first after-prom and her first after-after-prom.
The babies are growing. I've started weaning them so they can hopefully go home soon.Kev and I have started cutting down cedar trees out at the farm. They've taken over the creek and are considered an invasive species. We cut down more than a dozen trees one Sunday afternoon and it didn't even make a dent in what needs to come out. I think it will take us a good 30 years to rid the farm of all the cedar trees.
BUT...Kev did figure out a use for some of them:
It's a new grape arbor for my grapevines. I think I could set a bench out there during the summer months and just enjoy the view as well.Here's what he did for the top:
A closer view of the sidewalls, including grapevines:
He's just a clever guy. I think I'll keep him around for a while. After all, we have a lot of cedar trees to cut down and use somewhere!
Thursday, August 05, 2010
End of summer changes...for the kids
Summer is rapidly winding down, but it's not slowing down.
Immediately upon our return from vacation, Andy decided it was time for him to spread his wings and fly the coop. He moved into an apartment in Ford with a friend of his. The boys scavenged furniture and dishes from their Mothers and set up house. So far...3 weeks in, they are doing OK.
It's a little odd without Andy being home, but I think it will be OK. He wants to learn how to live on his own and that's what all we parents want, right? It's our job to raise our kids and them let them go learn about life on their own...it was so much easier when I was the kid wanting to go out on my own...
But, we're surviving. My grocery bill had already gone down but my chore list has gone up. Miss Kat has taken over care of the barn cats and I am now the full time caretaker of the chickens. No more questionable eggs have shown up in the fridge, so I must be doing OK!
Yesterday, Andy and I went to Garden City to see an Orthopedic Surgeon. Andy's been struggling with his knee for 2 years. We've seen one Dr, but he didn't do much except tell us he thought it was simply a symptom of Andy growing so fast. But, now, it looks like surgery might be in Andy's future. Which means he probably shouldn't have moved out on his own and signed a lease when he might not be able to work for 6 weeks or more. But, I might be getting ahead of myself with worrying because we won't know for sure what's going on for 2 more weeks.
I will say that I didn't enjoy my day sitting in the Dr's office, and waiting for x-rays and MRI's to be run. The highlight was seeing Andy run around in short shorts (mid thigh) while wearing cowboy boots. While Miss Kat looks cute in her Fat Babies boots with her short shorts and long legs...Andy just doesn't have quite the same look with his shorter, hairier legs...
Gosh, it just dawned on me that I should have gotten a picture!
Since Andy has moved out, Miss Kat is planning on relocating to his room. she has grand schemes...I mean plans. And, those plans change often. We've gone from a red and black room to a teal and silver room to a multi-colored room. We've gone from a city theme to a sports theme to a zebra theme.
We ordered a bedspread/duvet cover Saturday night after looking in every store in Wichita for the perfect bedding. It arrived last night, and had Miss Kat in tears. It just wasn't what she had pictured...and of course, it's my fault, because we didn't order the one she loved 2 weeks ago and it is now unavailable.
But, last night, we settled on one...I hope. Zebra. Black and White. With teal or aqua sheets and accent pillows. And, she's thinking about making herself a small accent quilt. I think she wants to paint the room teal or aqua with one wall metallic silver. We'll see what she winds up with because she is after all, a teenager.
I've decided that she hates me. This quilt thing...you all know that I don't like to quilt. And somehow...I think I'm going to wind up "helping" a great deal with this project. (Aunt Cindy, wanna come to Kansas for a month or so and quilt with Miss Kat???)
Miss Kat is also practicing her driving. She had hopes of getting her farm permit before school so she could drive herself to and from school. But, she's not ready yet. We've driven a few times, but she still doesn't turn corners well and she doesn't keep her speed consistent going up and down hill. She also tends to hug the side of the road which makes me nervous when we don't have shoulders. She is better at stopping, because I haven't hit the dash in a week now. Progress...it's progress, but progress comes at a price; I have more gray hair from all this driving instruction. School starts in 2 weeks. She's not going to have her permit by then. Maybe she'll be ready by Christmas...
Nope, summer might be winding down, but it certainly isn't slowing down at our house.
Immediately upon our return from vacation, Andy decided it was time for him to spread his wings and fly the coop. He moved into an apartment in Ford with a friend of his. The boys scavenged furniture and dishes from their Mothers and set up house. So far...3 weeks in, they are doing OK.
It's a little odd without Andy being home, but I think it will be OK. He wants to learn how to live on his own and that's what all we parents want, right? It's our job to raise our kids and them let them go learn about life on their own...it was so much easier when I was the kid wanting to go out on my own...
But, we're surviving. My grocery bill had already gone down but my chore list has gone up. Miss Kat has taken over care of the barn cats and I am now the full time caretaker of the chickens. No more questionable eggs have shown up in the fridge, so I must be doing OK!
Yesterday, Andy and I went to Garden City to see an Orthopedic Surgeon. Andy's been struggling with his knee for 2 years. We've seen one Dr, but he didn't do much except tell us he thought it was simply a symptom of Andy growing so fast. But, now, it looks like surgery might be in Andy's future. Which means he probably shouldn't have moved out on his own and signed a lease when he might not be able to work for 6 weeks or more. But, I might be getting ahead of myself with worrying because we won't know for sure what's going on for 2 more weeks.
I will say that I didn't enjoy my day sitting in the Dr's office, and waiting for x-rays and MRI's to be run. The highlight was seeing Andy run around in short shorts (mid thigh) while wearing cowboy boots. While Miss Kat looks cute in her Fat Babies boots with her short shorts and long legs...Andy just doesn't have quite the same look with his shorter, hairier legs...
Gosh, it just dawned on me that I should have gotten a picture!
Since Andy has moved out, Miss Kat is planning on relocating to his room. she has grand schemes...I mean plans. And, those plans change often. We've gone from a red and black room to a teal and silver room to a multi-colored room. We've gone from a city theme to a sports theme to a zebra theme.
We ordered a bedspread/duvet cover Saturday night after looking in every store in Wichita for the perfect bedding. It arrived last night, and had Miss Kat in tears. It just wasn't what she had pictured...and of course, it's my fault, because we didn't order the one she loved 2 weeks ago and it is now unavailable.
But, last night, we settled on one...I hope. Zebra. Black and White. With teal or aqua sheets and accent pillows. And, she's thinking about making herself a small accent quilt. I think she wants to paint the room teal or aqua with one wall metallic silver. We'll see what she winds up with because she is after all, a teenager.
I've decided that she hates me. This quilt thing...you all know that I don't like to quilt. And somehow...I think I'm going to wind up "helping" a great deal with this project. (Aunt Cindy, wanna come to Kansas for a month or so and quilt with Miss Kat???)
Miss Kat is also practicing her driving. She had hopes of getting her farm permit before school so she could drive herself to and from school. But, she's not ready yet. We've driven a few times, but she still doesn't turn corners well and she doesn't keep her speed consistent going up and down hill. She also tends to hug the side of the road which makes me nervous when we don't have shoulders. She is better at stopping, because I haven't hit the dash in a week now. Progress...it's progress, but progress comes at a price; I have more gray hair from all this driving instruction. School starts in 2 weeks. She's not going to have her permit by then. Maybe she'll be ready by Christmas...
Nope, summer might be winding down, but it certainly isn't slowing down at our house.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
25 and then some...things about me
We'll be heading to the Mountains tomorrow, so no blogs next week. (Like I've been good this summer anyway!)
No, I don't have a picture to post of my "Kitchen" cross stitch yet...I asked Miss Kat to take a picture of it last night. She did, but wouldn't upload it for me. And there I was...slaving away over a hot stove making cookies for the trip. Ungrateful wench...
So blame her.
One of my groups online had a thread of 25 things about me. Thought I'd post my list here for you all to be amazed by all the things about me that you didn't know before...
1. I get annoyed by ill people. I try not to, but I just don't understand it. (It's Grandma's fault. Her and her standing-appointment with Dr. Lenz every Friday morning.)
2. Thankfully, I am not a nurse.
3. I think living in cities is against human nature. (Sorry family in Colo Springs, but yes, you all are quacks! but I love you anyway!)
4. I live in the country.
5. My dream goal is to eat only food produced on our place.
6. My garden is against me fulfilling my dream unless you can eat bindweed.
7. I often have to stop to do the math when someone asks my age. (Let's see...it's 2010...I was born in 1964...that makes me...46).
8. In my mind I'm still 25 with a hot body. Neither is true. (was it true then?)
9. Every day, I look at Kev and think I'm the luckiest girl in the world. Why he "Settled" for me, I'll never know but I will be forever grateful.
10. I wish we had gotten married earlier so I could have talked Kev into having 2 more kids...well, I wish that most of the time...ok...sometimes...umm...
11. I have worked in a library of some kind since 1979. And libraries look very different 30 years later. OMG...did I just type 30???I am not old enough to have worked in a library 30 years! aaarrrgggg!
12. As an academic librarian, I'm annoyed by helicopter parents.
13. As a parent of a 19 year old and a 14 year old, I can now see how easy it is to become a helicopter parent.
14. I'm trying really hard NOT to be a helicopter parent.
15. I bowhunt.
16. I hate fishing but like to eat fish. Except for muddy catfish and trout. Trout look at you. bleh...
17. I think Kansas is one of the most under appreciated states in the union.
18. I have heard every Toto and Dorothy joke and they really annoy me.
19. I'm grateful that all the idiots who like Dorothy and Toto jokes live elsewhere and they all eventually go home...usually to cities.
20. I love the feel, sight, sound, and smell of rain.
21. I like raising chickens. Except when they drive me crazy. Which is fairly often.
22. My favorite part of the day is when I crawl into bed and snuggle with Kev.
23. My mom is one of my best friends.
24. I wish I was a Stay at home wife and mom.
25.Kev and I get up at the un-godly hour of 5 a.m. to exercise. Every day, when the alarm goes off, I pray that he'll just turn it off and go back to sleep. He seldom does. I am NOT a morning person, so exercising with me at 5 a.m. is lots of fun for both of us.
Well, that's it. Tonight...I'm still getting ready to camp. Tonight I am patching some jeans to wear and baking banana bars. Tomorrow, I'm loading the camper. But, I sure would appreciate someone explaining to me how Kev always manages to have to work on the day that the camper gets loaded up for a trip; leaving most of the last minute stuff to me...
No, I don't have a picture to post of my "Kitchen" cross stitch yet...I asked Miss Kat to take a picture of it last night. She did, but wouldn't upload it for me. And there I was...slaving away over a hot stove making cookies for the trip. Ungrateful wench...
So blame her.
One of my groups online had a thread of 25 things about me. Thought I'd post my list here for you all to be amazed by all the things about me that you didn't know before...
1. I get annoyed by ill people. I try not to, but I just don't understand it. (It's Grandma's fault. Her and her standing-appointment with Dr. Lenz every Friday morning.)
2. Thankfully, I am not a nurse.
3. I think living in cities is against human nature. (Sorry family in Colo Springs, but yes, you all are quacks! but I love you anyway!)
4. I live in the country.
5. My dream goal is to eat only food produced on our place.
6. My garden is against me fulfilling my dream unless you can eat bindweed.
7. I often have to stop to do the math when someone asks my age. (Let's see...it's 2010...I was born in 1964...that makes me...46).
8. In my mind I'm still 25 with a hot body. Neither is true. (was it true then?)
9. Every day, I look at Kev and think I'm the luckiest girl in the world. Why he "Settled" for me, I'll never know but I will be forever grateful.
10. I wish we had gotten married earlier so I could have talked Kev into having 2 more kids...well, I wish that most of the time...ok...sometimes...umm...
11. I have worked in a library of some kind since 1979. And libraries look very different 30 years later. OMG...did I just type 30???I am not old enough to have worked in a library 30 years! aaarrrgggg!
12. As an academic librarian, I'm annoyed by helicopter parents.
13. As a parent of a 19 year old and a 14 year old, I can now see how easy it is to become a helicopter parent.
14. I'm trying really hard NOT to be a helicopter parent.
15. I bowhunt.
16. I hate fishing but like to eat fish. Except for muddy catfish and trout. Trout look at you. bleh...
17. I think Kansas is one of the most under appreciated states in the union.
18. I have heard every Toto and Dorothy joke and they really annoy me.
19. I'm grateful that all the idiots who like Dorothy and Toto jokes live elsewhere and they all eventually go home...usually to cities.
20. I love the feel, sight, sound, and smell of rain.
21. I like raising chickens. Except when they drive me crazy. Which is fairly often.
22. My favorite part of the day is when I crawl into bed and snuggle with Kev.
23. My mom is one of my best friends.
24. I wish I was a Stay at home wife and mom.
25.Kev and I get up at the un-godly hour of 5 a.m. to exercise. Every day, when the alarm goes off, I pray that he'll just turn it off and go back to sleep. He seldom does. I am NOT a morning person, so exercising with me at 5 a.m. is lots of fun for both of us.
Well, that's it. Tonight...I'm still getting ready to camp. Tonight I am patching some jeans to wear and baking banana bars. Tomorrow, I'm loading the camper. But, I sure would appreciate someone explaining to me how Kev always manages to have to work on the day that the camper gets loaded up for a trip; leaving most of the last minute stuff to me...
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
The weekend in brief...
No chicken posts this week! Aren't you glad?
It's Tuesday. I had a 4 day weekend. It was great! On Friday, I finished stitched "Mom's Cooking", which I also call "Mom's kitchen" quite frequently. I'll post a picture soon. PROMISE. I started stitching it Easter weekend, and finished on July 3. Not bad. Since we are going camping this next week, I'm just going to either take a break from stitching, or take along some bookmark patterns. Once we get home, I think I'll stitch up some more tea towels or maybe some pillowcases. I'm fairly positive it will be embroidery work instead of cross stitching for a little while. I need a break!
On Saturday, Miss Kat and I ran in to Dodge with Kev. It was his weekend to cover the hospital, and we "carpooled" to hit the stores while he was working. Then we ran home and unloaded the groceries and put them away. We got a lot of camping groceries but, like always, I need more. And, once again, we got home, fresh from the store and wondered what we were going to have for supper!
Kev and I then ran down to Mom's. She bought a new air conditioner (Window unit) and wanted it installed. It has been sitting on her porch for 3 weeks...I'm not real sure why the rush to get it installed, after all the 30 year old one still worked! But, Kev came down and he and Dad managed to get it installed without any trouble. Kev did comment that the new one was lots lighter than the old one. Of course it's been cool and rainy since we installed it, so I'm not sure how well it works for Mom.
After installing the AC, we ran out to the Hill. Dad helped Kev pick up a couple of stock panels while Mom and I ran out to check the Sand-hill plums. There's a thicket of plums down near the new well in the pasture. We decided to walk, thinking it wasn't that far down there. We kept rounding "corners" of the draw thinking the plums were right there, but they were always "around the next bend."
We finally got to them. And found several ripe and almost ripe plums. Since it's been a wet year, the plums are HUGE! We walked back, and made plans to pick them on Monday. Kev and I got home around 8:30 Saturday night. I ran to take a bath and found 2 ticks on my leg. Both were busily robbing me of blood, but we got them plucked and gave them a nice alcohol christening before sending them down the toilet.
The 4th was a nice quiet day. We started getting the camper ready to go and then we went to Ford to a 4th party. It's our first invitation to a party since moving. We had a nice time and were home by 10 and watched Bucklin's fireworks from our front porch. Kat and a friend watched from town (you know teenage girls, they had to see who was there and they needed to be seen too!) Andy was in Minneola with a friend. Our first fireworks alone...so romantic...
Yesterday, Kev ran to work and I drove to Mom's to pick plums. Kev called and said it was dumping rain on him. (Found out later that Dodge got 7.5 inches of rain in 24 hours.) I hit the rain a few minutes later. Yes, it dumped! It didn't, however, rain at Mom's. So, we ran out to pick plums.
We doused ourselves with OFF, and made sure we had gloves and then we tackled the plum thicket. An hour later, we'd decided that we enjoyed picking plums a lot more when Dad does the picking.
We were cut up and bruised, but we had 2.5 gallons of plums! Of course many fell to the ground before landing in our bucket. And the bushes were thick, full of tumbleweeds and soaking wet. My clothes were soaked. To top it off...we forget to put on the gloves, so we have cuts and splinters in my hands. I think Sand-hill plum jelly is worth the effort...but it IS much nicer when Daddy picks the plums.
Kev and I spent the afternoon cleaning the camper and making that final list of stuff we need to pack/do before leaving on Friday. Then, we'll be off to Steamboat for a week! I can't wait!
It's Tuesday. I had a 4 day weekend. It was great! On Friday, I finished stitched "Mom's Cooking", which I also call "Mom's kitchen" quite frequently. I'll post a picture soon. PROMISE. I started stitching it Easter weekend, and finished on July 3. Not bad. Since we are going camping this next week, I'm just going to either take a break from stitching, or take along some bookmark patterns. Once we get home, I think I'll stitch up some more tea towels or maybe some pillowcases. I'm fairly positive it will be embroidery work instead of cross stitching for a little while. I need a break!
On Saturday, Miss Kat and I ran in to Dodge with Kev. It was his weekend to cover the hospital, and we "carpooled" to hit the stores while he was working. Then we ran home and unloaded the groceries and put them away. We got a lot of camping groceries but, like always, I need more. And, once again, we got home, fresh from the store and wondered what we were going to have for supper!
Kev and I then ran down to Mom's. She bought a new air conditioner (Window unit) and wanted it installed. It has been sitting on her porch for 3 weeks...I'm not real sure why the rush to get it installed, after all the 30 year old one still worked! But, Kev came down and he and Dad managed to get it installed without any trouble. Kev did comment that the new one was lots lighter than the old one. Of course it's been cool and rainy since we installed it, so I'm not sure how well it works for Mom.
After installing the AC, we ran out to the Hill. Dad helped Kev pick up a couple of stock panels while Mom and I ran out to check the Sand-hill plums. There's a thicket of plums down near the new well in the pasture. We decided to walk, thinking it wasn't that far down there. We kept rounding "corners" of the draw thinking the plums were right there, but they were always "around the next bend."
We finally got to them. And found several ripe and almost ripe plums. Since it's been a wet year, the plums are HUGE! We walked back, and made plans to pick them on Monday. Kev and I got home around 8:30 Saturday night. I ran to take a bath and found 2 ticks on my leg. Both were busily robbing me of blood, but we got them plucked and gave them a nice alcohol christening before sending them down the toilet.
The 4th was a nice quiet day. We started getting the camper ready to go and then we went to Ford to a 4th party. It's our first invitation to a party since moving. We had a nice time and were home by 10 and watched Bucklin's fireworks from our front porch. Kat and a friend watched from town (you know teenage girls, they had to see who was there and they needed to be seen too!) Andy was in Minneola with a friend. Our first fireworks alone...so romantic...
Yesterday, Kev ran to work and I drove to Mom's to pick plums. Kev called and said it was dumping rain on him. (Found out later that Dodge got 7.5 inches of rain in 24 hours.) I hit the rain a few minutes later. Yes, it dumped! It didn't, however, rain at Mom's. So, we ran out to pick plums.
We doused ourselves with OFF, and made sure we had gloves and then we tackled the plum thicket. An hour later, we'd decided that we enjoyed picking plums a lot more when Dad does the picking.
We were cut up and bruised, but we had 2.5 gallons of plums! Of course many fell to the ground before landing in our bucket. And the bushes were thick, full of tumbleweeds and soaking wet. My clothes were soaked. To top it off...we forget to put on the gloves, so we have cuts and splinters in my hands. I think Sand-hill plum jelly is worth the effort...but it IS much nicer when Daddy picks the plums.
Kev and I spent the afternoon cleaning the camper and making that final list of stuff we need to pack/do before leaving on Friday. Then, we'll be off to Steamboat for a week! I can't wait!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Saturday fun
What did you do this weekend?
Pick up rocks.
Yep, that's us. Exciting lives! We ran out to the ranch on Saturday to get some rocks for Mom's landscaping that Kev is going to do. I love going out to the ranch. I'd love it even more if all that beautiful land belonged to us! But, it doesn't.
Kev and I went out to the canyons on the east side of the ranch and picked up probably 2000 lbs of rocks. Sandstone. Four of the rocks took both of us to lift. We drove the 4 wheeler down to the bottom and loaded it up, then hauled the rocks back up to the trailer, unloaded them, and back down for another load.
After we finished, we decided to walk through the canyon--just for fun. We found some beautiful springs surrounded by cottonwoods. We found some areas where rain had washed and exposed "waterfalls". (But they "fall" only when it rains.) We found some wild grapes, 2 lizards, and a horny toad. Kev saw a coyote that we spooked, and we both saw some antelope. The wildflowers are starting to bloom, so we enjoyed the early flowers and I even found some cowboy roses, my personal favorite.
After our walk, Kev touched base with Dad, who was heading over to the "500", a pond, to fish. Since Kev had thrown in his pole and fishing stuff, we decided to head over. I do not fish. Fishing is boring and icky. So, while the guys were fishing...I read a book, killed a tick, and took a nap in the sunshine.
After a couple of hours, Kev quit fishing, because we had to unload the rocks down at Mom's. Dad conveniently stayed fishing...he's really good at getting out of hard work like that...on the other hand, he had built fence that morning, so maybe he's due a little "R & R".
Kev and I got to Mom's and she helped us unload the rocks--but not the heavy rocks. Kev and I did those. We just didn't carry them very far. They were heavy!
As we left, Kev told me it had been a great birthday for him, he got a great gift, and he got to spend the day outside.
It was a good day. And we finished our day with grilled steak for supper. A great end to a pretty good day.
Pick up rocks.
Yep, that's us. Exciting lives! We ran out to the ranch on Saturday to get some rocks for Mom's landscaping that Kev is going to do. I love going out to the ranch. I'd love it even more if all that beautiful land belonged to us! But, it doesn't.
Kev and I went out to the canyons on the east side of the ranch and picked up probably 2000 lbs of rocks. Sandstone. Four of the rocks took both of us to lift. We drove the 4 wheeler down to the bottom and loaded it up, then hauled the rocks back up to the trailer, unloaded them, and back down for another load.
After we finished, we decided to walk through the canyon--just for fun. We found some beautiful springs surrounded by cottonwoods. We found some areas where rain had washed and exposed "waterfalls". (But they "fall" only when it rains.) We found some wild grapes, 2 lizards, and a horny toad. Kev saw a coyote that we spooked, and we both saw some antelope. The wildflowers are starting to bloom, so we enjoyed the early flowers and I even found some cowboy roses, my personal favorite.
After our walk, Kev touched base with Dad, who was heading over to the "500", a pond, to fish. Since Kev had thrown in his pole and fishing stuff, we decided to head over. I do not fish. Fishing is boring and icky. So, while the guys were fishing...I read a book, killed a tick, and took a nap in the sunshine.
After a couple of hours, Kev quit fishing, because we had to unload the rocks down at Mom's. Dad conveniently stayed fishing...he's really good at getting out of hard work like that...on the other hand, he had built fence that morning, so maybe he's due a little "R & R".
Kev and I got to Mom's and she helped us unload the rocks--but not the heavy rocks. Kev and I did those. We just didn't carry them very far. They were heavy!
As we left, Kev told me it had been a great birthday for him, he got a great gift, and he got to spend the day outside.
It was a good day. And we finished our day with grilled steak for supper. A great end to a pretty good day.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Surprising Kev
I finally did it. It only took me 20 years, but I finally surprised Kev with a gift.
Oh, I've bought him lots of gifts over the years, but he's not an easy person to buy for. He's not picky, or materialistic...which probably makes it harder to buy for him because he just doesn't want much.
But the worst part of trying to buy a gift for Kev is that he always guesses what I got him before I give it to him.
For example...several years ago, I bought him a reciprocating saw, or a saws-all. Kev's brother Dan went to the store with me and helped me pick out a good saw for Kev. I smuggled it home, got it wrapped and put under the Christmas tree. A few days later, Kev said, "Can I open my saw and use it now? It would sure come in handy." He'd figured it out. He does it all the time.
It makes it very frustrating for me because he's always surprising me, and I want to do the same for him. And this year, I succeeded!
Since we moved here, Kev's been bow hunting on the ground and a few times, he's been burned by the deer. They've spotted him. So, I got the idea to buy Kev a Ghille suit. I found one I liked in Cabela's, and ordered it for Kev's birthday. I had it shipped to work so he wouldn't see the box and somehow guess what I'd ordered.
Now, he's never mentioned wanting a ghille suit, so I wasn't sure this would pan out. I was so afraid he'd open it, grunt, and tell me he didn't need a ghille suit, and to send it back. (He's done that before.)
But, no! He was thrilled! He'd been thinking about looking at one, hadn't mentioned it. He tried it on and offered to go lay down in the pasture to see if he "disappeared". He's now eager for hunting season again, just for the chance to wear his new suit.
And, I'm excited because finally, after 20 years, I got to surprise him with a gift he likes and didn't expect. And that made us both happy on his birthday.
Oh, I've bought him lots of gifts over the years, but he's not an easy person to buy for. He's not picky, or materialistic...which probably makes it harder to buy for him because he just doesn't want much.
But the worst part of trying to buy a gift for Kev is that he always guesses what I got him before I give it to him.
For example...several years ago, I bought him a reciprocating saw, or a saws-all. Kev's brother Dan went to the store with me and helped me pick out a good saw for Kev. I smuggled it home, got it wrapped and put under the Christmas tree. A few days later, Kev said, "Can I open my saw and use it now? It would sure come in handy." He'd figured it out. He does it all the time.
It makes it very frustrating for me because he's always surprising me, and I want to do the same for him. And this year, I succeeded!
Since we moved here, Kev's been bow hunting on the ground and a few times, he's been burned by the deer. They've spotted him. So, I got the idea to buy Kev a Ghille suit. I found one I liked in Cabela's, and ordered it for Kev's birthday. I had it shipped to work so he wouldn't see the box and somehow guess what I'd ordered.
Now, he's never mentioned wanting a ghille suit, so I wasn't sure this would pan out. I was so afraid he'd open it, grunt, and tell me he didn't need a ghille suit, and to send it back. (He's done that before.)
But, no! He was thrilled! He'd been thinking about looking at one, hadn't mentioned it. He tried it on and offered to go lay down in the pasture to see if he "disappeared". He's now eager for hunting season again, just for the chance to wear his new suit.
And, I'm excited because finally, after 20 years, I got to surprise him with a gift he likes and didn't expect. And that made us both happy on his birthday.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Our trip
Kev and I are going on a 15th Anniversary trip. Unlike most people, we are NOT going on a cruise. Nor will we be spending the night in a hotel. No sexy nighties, no candle lit dinners, no rose petals... We will probably have supper by lantern light and enjoy the sunset and sunrise together dressed in our finest camo.
We're spending our 15th anniversary on a Turkey Hunting trip. Kev usually spends our anniversary with Lynn Dale, hunting, but this year, he asked me to go along. Since I have to use 12 vacation days before June 30, I decided to give it a go and go along! (I usually let the guys have their "guy time" turkey hunting.)
Of course this means that our children will be home alone...but they should be old enough, right? Andy is almost 19 and Kat is 14. My greatest fear is that they might kill each other. On the other hand...Kev and I will have the shotguns and a bow...so I'm fairly confident that they will be fine...I'm not so confident that any of the animals will get fed or the eggs gathered, or even that my house will be remotely clean when I get home.
We leave tomorrow after work, which means that tonight we'll be frantically getting everything together and loaded in the pickup. Ugg...
But, it's my 15th anniversary on the 15th of April (Death & Taxes day)...and dang it, I'm going on a "romantic" trip with my husband...and Lynn Dale.
Come to think of it...it reminds me of my honeymoon...Lynn was with us then too!
Monday, April 12, 2010
spring projects
I happen to be married to a man who always has to have a project or 2, or 3, or 10 to do. Now that it's spring, Kev's thoughts have turned from inside projects to outside projects.
The list so far includes...revamping the big pond...building a walkway from the porch around to the sitting area...the garden...the greenhouse...staining the house...build a pond for my Mom...doing some "honey-do projects for Mom...build me a deer blind...burn the house at the Hill...Clean up at the farm...plant a deer plot...move the stairs in the basement...get the boat running... rebuild my chicken pen...
I'm sure I'm forgetting one, or two. Thing is...sometimes he starts projects and then they sit there, waiting to be finished for years. And, eventually, most get completed, or revamped completely.
He did some work on his big pond last weekend. He dug the wall back and reset his rocks and added some new rocks. Then he had to work on his pump to make sure it pumped. He still needs to clean out the filter and get it running full time. Saturday, we ran to DC and picked up some lumber to build a walkway that will run from the sidewalk on the west side of the house around the little pond, over to our seating area by the big pond. We (and yes, I helped) then set the runners and started work on the walkway. It's going to be a wooden "sidewalk" with 3 nice "curves" in it. So far, we've managed to get it done about 1/2 way. But, we won't have time to work on it again for 2 weeks, so there it sits...waiting.
And, while we're working on this project, Kev is already planning on what he's doing next. I tell ya, I'm glad we had to go to work today...I needed the rest!
The list so far includes...revamping the big pond...building a walkway from the porch around to the sitting area...the garden...the greenhouse...staining the house...build a pond for my Mom...doing some "honey-do projects for Mom...build me a deer blind...burn the house at the Hill...Clean up at the farm...plant a deer plot...move the stairs in the basement...get the boat running... rebuild my chicken pen...
I'm sure I'm forgetting one, or two. Thing is...sometimes he starts projects and then they sit there, waiting to be finished for years. And, eventually, most get completed, or revamped completely.
He did some work on his big pond last weekend. He dug the wall back and reset his rocks and added some new rocks. Then he had to work on his pump to make sure it pumped. He still needs to clean out the filter and get it running full time. Saturday, we ran to DC and picked up some lumber to build a walkway that will run from the sidewalk on the west side of the house around the little pond, over to our seating area by the big pond. We (and yes, I helped) then set the runners and started work on the walkway. It's going to be a wooden "sidewalk" with 3 nice "curves" in it. So far, we've managed to get it done about 1/2 way. But, we won't have time to work on it again for 2 weeks, so there it sits...waiting.
And, while we're working on this project, Kev is already planning on what he's doing next. I tell ya, I'm glad we had to go to work today...I needed the rest!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Alabaster Caverns
Last weekend, we went to Alabaster Caverns in Freedom, Oklahoma. It's only a drive of 1.5 hours from home, so it was a fun, quick trip. The only drawback was the snowstorm that blew in that morning...well, that and the wind, but it is March! The Herrons came down and went with us. We all had a great time. When we got to the Caverns, we missed the most recent tour of the cave, so we wandered over to the hiking trails, and the scenic overlook. Miss Kat took this shot while we were hiking.
The caves are a part of a huge canyon and cave system. There are 6 caves in the State Park and 3 hiking trails. And, by canyon....I mean Canyon. Rough terrain. We read about Cowboys roping bears and about wolves that roamed the area through the early years of the 20th century.Think about that...Bears and Wolves...in Northwest Oklahoma, on the Great Plains in the 20th Century...
The kids found one cave that they ventured into. Well, Kim, Bob, and the kids ventured into it. Kev had to stay a ways back down the trail (because cowboy boots weren't working too well on the wet, slick, rough trail) and I stayed outside the cave (because I'm not completely crazy!) You are allowed to go into all the caves, but I thought that someone should stay outside...just in case.
After playing around in the cave and on the trails, we finally got to tour the main cave. Alabaster Caverns is a gypsum cave. There are several types of Alabaster in the cave. In this shot, you can see the white gypsum sparkling in the roof.
Also a part of the cave is the Bat population. There are 8000-10,000 bats who live in the cave. This was a group of 50 or so bats. Thankfully, they stayed up on the ceiling where they belonged.We had a great time, and all decided that we want to go back--maybe not for the big cave tour, but we definitely want to hike the entire trail system through the canyon. It was a great ending to our Spring Break...even if the weather was crappy!
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
"This marriage on hold for Kansas Basketball..."
The Kansas, K-State Basketball game just finished. It was an experience...
Andy is a K-State fan. Kev is a die-hard fanatic KU fan. Both were watching the game...but on different TVs. Andy, downstairs, Kev across the room. Neither are quiet fans.
Andy would yell for his team, and we'd hear it echo upstairs. Kev would yell for his team, and it would echo downstairs. Kat would occasionally join in with the KU cheerleaders with chants. I'll tell ya, between the three of them, my life is..interesting...
I have to say, watching Kev watch a KU game is entertaining...more entertaining than the game. He's on his knees, he' yelling at the TV, he's hugging pillows, he's almost as bad as a kid hyped up on sugar.
He's a Jayhawk, and right now, he's really happy. Andy...poor Andy hasn't said a word since the last two minutes of the game. Wonder if he'd appreciate condolences from his dad?
Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
Andy is a K-State fan. Kev is a die-hard fanatic KU fan. Both were watching the game...but on different TVs. Andy, downstairs, Kev across the room. Neither are quiet fans.
Andy would yell for his team, and we'd hear it echo upstairs. Kev would yell for his team, and it would echo downstairs. Kat would occasionally join in with the KU cheerleaders with chants. I'll tell ya, between the three of them, my life is..interesting...
I have to say, watching Kev watch a KU game is entertaining...more entertaining than the game. He's on his knees, he' yelling at the TV, he's hugging pillows, he's almost as bad as a kid hyped up on sugar.
He's a Jayhawk, and right now, he's really happy. Andy...poor Andy hasn't said a word since the last two minutes of the game. Wonder if he'd appreciate condolences from his dad?
Rock Chalk Jayhawk!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Big FAT Liar
Many many moons ago when Kev and I were first dating, I discovered that he was a Big Fat Liar. Knowing this about him, you'd think I'd have left. And, maybe I should have, but he was cute and sexy and somehow those two attributes won over the honesty thing.
One evening, we were at his house, lying on the floor, watching TV. We were talking and snuggling and all was well. Somehow our conversation came around to prison and jail. (It's been 20 years or more, don't expect me to remember how we got on that topic.) Anyway, in the course of the conversation, Kev mentioned that he'd spent a week in jail. Because our relationship was new, I didn't ask what for, I just asked what it was like. After all, I liked this guy and didn't want to know all the bad aspects of his life... I'd have to leave if he were a mad serial killer or something like that. I think he finally mentioned that it had something to do with alcohol. I had already heard some details of his wild single years thought to myself, "yeah, that makes sense."
Nothing more was said for about 6 months until he laughingly told me the jail story was all a Big FAT Lie. Oh, it was soooooo funny...me buying this Big FAT lie and believing a guy I was dating...Sooooo very funny. Yeah. I'm still laughing about it.
But, it doesn't change the fact that he was a Big FAT Liar then, and he's still a Big FAT Liar.
We are not even going into the aspect of the conversation that starts with this phrase... "Well, YOU married him..."
So...yesterday was my birf-day. And, in the morning, Kev asked where our checkbook was. I told him and asked why. He said he was just curious and then mentioned he had to pick up my present. At that point, I jerked my head around to look at him and said, "No you don't. We just bought a new vehicle, I do not need a present." He said, "Sorry, but I had already ordered it."
Great...just great. Kev then reminded me that I'd probably have to ride home with Andy because he had a meeting at work, his Boss, Amy, had scheduled this staff meeting at 5 because that was the only time of day they could all get together. No problem, I made arrangements with Andy to pick me up.
Kev called a little after 6 p.m. last night, saying he was leaving Dodge, and he'd call again when he got to Ford so we could meet him at the Bar in town for supper. He called about 15 minutes later and said he'd be late because he was stopped at the railroad tracks by a train. It was a little after 7 when he finally said he was at Ford, so we drove to town for supper.
We got home and I went upstairs. Miss Kat came running upstairs, and covered my eyes so I wouldn't see my present. When I opened them, this is what I saw:
It's a ceder chest! See, look inside:
Kev knows a guy who is just starting a woodworking business and he made this for me! Kev drove to Montezuma last night to pick it up and pay for it. (I haven't even looked in the checkbook yet to see what it cost!)
I was stunned. I've wanted a ceder chest since I was in High School. It's made of knotty pine and is cedar lined. It smells so good! And it's just my style, simple and rustic. The knotty pine will go with our bedroom set and I love it. And, I can't believe he remembered and that he went through the trouble of getting me this! I don't know why, but he must love me.
But he's still a Big FAT liar. He lied about the meeting after work. He lied about getting caught by a train. And, somehow, when he lies, he still manages to get a Big FAT kiss.
One evening, we were at his house, lying on the floor, watching TV. We were talking and snuggling and all was well. Somehow our conversation came around to prison and jail. (It's been 20 years or more, don't expect me to remember how we got on that topic.) Anyway, in the course of the conversation, Kev mentioned that he'd spent a week in jail. Because our relationship was new, I didn't ask what for, I just asked what it was like. After all, I liked this guy and didn't want to know all the bad aspects of his life... I'd have to leave if he were a mad serial killer or something like that. I think he finally mentioned that it had something to do with alcohol. I had already heard some details of his wild single years thought to myself, "yeah, that makes sense."
Nothing more was said for about 6 months until he laughingly told me the jail story was all a Big FAT Lie. Oh, it was soooooo funny...me buying this Big FAT lie and believing a guy I was dating...Sooooo very funny. Yeah. I'm still laughing about it.
But, it doesn't change the fact that he was a Big FAT Liar then, and he's still a Big FAT Liar.
We are not even going into the aspect of the conversation that starts with this phrase... "Well, YOU married him..."
So...yesterday was my birf-day. And, in the morning, Kev asked where our checkbook was. I told him and asked why. He said he was just curious and then mentioned he had to pick up my present. At that point, I jerked my head around to look at him and said, "No you don't. We just bought a new vehicle, I do not need a present." He said, "Sorry, but I had already ordered it."
Great...just great. Kev then reminded me that I'd probably have to ride home with Andy because he had a meeting at work, his Boss, Amy, had scheduled this staff meeting at 5 because that was the only time of day they could all get together. No problem, I made arrangements with Andy to pick me up.
Kev called a little after 6 p.m. last night, saying he was leaving Dodge, and he'd call again when he got to Ford so we could meet him at the Bar in town for supper. He called about 15 minutes later and said he'd be late because he was stopped at the railroad tracks by a train. It was a little after 7 when he finally said he was at Ford, so we drove to town for supper.
We got home and I went upstairs. Miss Kat came running upstairs, and covered my eyes so I wouldn't see my present. When I opened them, this is what I saw:
It's a ceder chest! See, look inside:Kev knows a guy who is just starting a woodworking business and he made this for me! Kev drove to Montezuma last night to pick it up and pay for it. (I haven't even looked in the checkbook yet to see what it cost!)
I was stunned. I've wanted a ceder chest since I was in High School. It's made of knotty pine and is cedar lined. It smells so good! And it's just my style, simple and rustic. The knotty pine will go with our bedroom set and I love it. And, I can't believe he remembered and that he went through the trouble of getting me this! I don't know why, but he must love me.
But he's still a Big FAT liar. He lied about the meeting after work. He lied about getting caught by a train. And, somehow, when he lies, he still manages to get a Big FAT kiss.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Escape
I wasn't going to blog about this at all...but I will just for my Mother in Law. :)
Kev and I have been talking about getting a new car. Our 2002 Volvo S60, which we love, has 195,000 miles on it. It needs some expensive repairs. We'd been debating putting the money in the car or in just getting a new one. We've been back and forth.
We like the Volvo.
It gets excellent gas mileage.
It drives beautifully.
It looks good.
It had lots of safety features.
It is expensive to repair.
It is paid for.
Because it's paid for, insurance is cheap.
But, it has reached the point where we needed to do something and soon.
I really don't care what we drive, but wanted something with more leg room in the back seat. We carpool with Patrick, who's 6'6". He can't fit in the back seat, and I'm tall enough that my knees rest in his back and he's been crowded even in the front seat of the Volvo. So, I wanted something that was more comfortable for me and more comfortable for him. In addition, Andy's gotten tall enough that he didn't sit comfortably in the back seat of the Volvo either. So, my main criteria for a new car was leg room.
So, on Saturday, Kev and I drove to Wichita to shop. Car shop.
He was leaning toward a Ford Fusion. He's researched them and liked what he was learning. But, we've also talked about getting another SUV, and have discussed the Ford Escape. We had an Explorer years ago and loved it. Our 1997 Explorer routinely got 27 mpg. We haven't met anyone else who got that good of mileage, but we did. We loved it. It really fit our lifestyle very well.
When we got there, we test drove a Fusion Hybrid. Holy cow, was it fancy schamancy! The dealer kept talking about how it could sync this and that and you could bluetooth and use your mp3 player and how it would even wipe your butt if you needed it to. (Ok, maybe not that last part...)
After driving the hybrid, we tried an Escape.
To be perfectly honest, after driving a hybrid, the Escape sounded like a jet plane. Those hybrids are quiet! Especially since most of our test drive was running on the battery and not the engine. But, it had lots of leg room in the back seat, which I enjoyed tremendously.
So, we then test drove a regular Fusion. Which was still pretty fancy schamancy, but since it wasn't a hybrid, it didn't come with that butt wiping option. We really liked the Blue Fusions, but didn't necessarily like the upholstery...it looked like computer code... So, we looked at other colors with different upholstery and fabric/leather options. The color they came up with was an off white which to me said "OLD LADY DRIVER".
And, I shared that opinion with Kevin--it was UGLY.
So, we drove the Blue Fusion to lunch to decide if we wanted it, and could live with upholstery that we didn't really like, or if we wanted the Escape.
I really didn't care. I did like the idea of the Escape, because it would be something we could take out to the farm, and if Kev and I hunted separately, I would look better driving an Escape in my Camo than I would wearing Camo in a car. We both liked sitting up higher, and the leg room. The Fusion had sufficient leg room, it just wasn't quite as roomy in that back seat. Kev noticed how much easier it was for him to get out of the Escape than it was the Fusion.
So, we went to lunch and discussed what we wanted to do.
We decided to keep the Volvo, because it has little trade in value, and Miss Kat will be driving in 2 years. She can drive the Volvo, which is a nice looking and very safe car for a beginning driver.
But trying to decide on which vehicle to buy wasn't as easy. I really didn't care, and told Kev I would be happy with both, but I wanted him to be happy too because he drives more often than I do. He finally said we'd get the Escape.
Which totally surprised me, because I figured he'd want the car. And, to be honest, I preferred the Escape. But, really, I told him that all I cared about was the color. I wanted whatever vehicle we got to be blue.
We got a pretty good deal, and believe me, we made the salesman work hard. He probably went home that night and had a good stiff drink.
I'm going to hate paying the insurance bill and property tax bill, but financially, we can handle it. I just hope we like it, and don't regret not choosing the car.
But, I do have a bone to pick with my husband...
Yesterday morning, I was still in bed and overhead Kev and Andy talking about the new Escape....
Andy: "So...you let Mom have her way and got the Escape."
Kev: "yep."
Andy: "So...now you don't have a vehicle at all, because the Diesel is hers too."
Kev: "yep."
Andy: "She's so spoiled."
Kev: "yep."
I should have gotten out of bed right then and there and smacked the two of them up-side the head. Men.
Kev and I have been talking about getting a new car. Our 2002 Volvo S60, which we love, has 195,000 miles on it. It needs some expensive repairs. We'd been debating putting the money in the car or in just getting a new one. We've been back and forth.
We like the Volvo.
It gets excellent gas mileage.
It drives beautifully.
It looks good.
It had lots of safety features.
It is expensive to repair.
It is paid for.
Because it's paid for, insurance is cheap.
But, it has reached the point where we needed to do something and soon.
I really don't care what we drive, but wanted something with more leg room in the back seat. We carpool with Patrick, who's 6'6". He can't fit in the back seat, and I'm tall enough that my knees rest in his back and he's been crowded even in the front seat of the Volvo. So, I wanted something that was more comfortable for me and more comfortable for him. In addition, Andy's gotten tall enough that he didn't sit comfortably in the back seat of the Volvo either. So, my main criteria for a new car was leg room.
So, on Saturday, Kev and I drove to Wichita to shop. Car shop.
He was leaning toward a Ford Fusion. He's researched them and liked what he was learning. But, we've also talked about getting another SUV, and have discussed the Ford Escape. We had an Explorer years ago and loved it. Our 1997 Explorer routinely got 27 mpg. We haven't met anyone else who got that good of mileage, but we did. We loved it. It really fit our lifestyle very well.
When we got there, we test drove a Fusion Hybrid. Holy cow, was it fancy schamancy! The dealer kept talking about how it could sync this and that and you could bluetooth and use your mp3 player and how it would even wipe your butt if you needed it to. (Ok, maybe not that last part...)
After driving the hybrid, we tried an Escape.
To be perfectly honest, after driving a hybrid, the Escape sounded like a jet plane. Those hybrids are quiet! Especially since most of our test drive was running on the battery and not the engine. But, it had lots of leg room in the back seat, which I enjoyed tremendously.
So, we then test drove a regular Fusion. Which was still pretty fancy schamancy, but since it wasn't a hybrid, it didn't come with that butt wiping option. We really liked the Blue Fusions, but didn't necessarily like the upholstery...it looked like computer code... So, we looked at other colors with different upholstery and fabric/leather options. The color they came up with was an off white which to me said "OLD LADY DRIVER".
And, I shared that opinion with Kevin--it was UGLY.
So, we drove the Blue Fusion to lunch to decide if we wanted it, and could live with upholstery that we didn't really like, or if we wanted the Escape.
I really didn't care. I did like the idea of the Escape, because it would be something we could take out to the farm, and if Kev and I hunted separately, I would look better driving an Escape in my Camo than I would wearing Camo in a car. We both liked sitting up higher, and the leg room. The Fusion had sufficient leg room, it just wasn't quite as roomy in that back seat. Kev noticed how much easier it was for him to get out of the Escape than it was the Fusion.
So, we went to lunch and discussed what we wanted to do.
We decided to keep the Volvo, because it has little trade in value, and Miss Kat will be driving in 2 years. She can drive the Volvo, which is a nice looking and very safe car for a beginning driver.
But trying to decide on which vehicle to buy wasn't as easy. I really didn't care, and told Kev I would be happy with both, but I wanted him to be happy too because he drives more often than I do. He finally said we'd get the Escape.
Which totally surprised me, because I figured he'd want the car. And, to be honest, I preferred the Escape. But, really, I told him that all I cared about was the color. I wanted whatever vehicle we got to be blue.
We got a pretty good deal, and believe me, we made the salesman work hard. He probably went home that night and had a good stiff drink.
I'm going to hate paying the insurance bill and property tax bill, but financially, we can handle it. I just hope we like it, and don't regret not choosing the car.
But, I do have a bone to pick with my husband...
Yesterday morning, I was still in bed and overhead Kev and Andy talking about the new Escape....
Andy: "So...you let Mom have her way and got the Escape."
Kev: "yep."
Andy: "So...now you don't have a vehicle at all, because the Diesel is hers too."
Kev: "yep."
Andy: "She's so spoiled."
Kev: "yep."
I should have gotten out of bed right then and there and smacked the two of them up-side the head. Men.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
The end of year recap
Our computer died over the Christmas break. Miss Kat has been inconsolable. She's been at death's door without her computer. Andy had a USB wireless card which became the victim of a dog's foot, as he keeps his laptop on the floor when it's not in use. I wonder if this has convinced him that he needs to find a new home for the laptop?
Today, I'm running our family laptop in to the shop. I think our power cord/supply is all that died. I hope that's the case anyway. We had several brown outs and lost power on Christmas Eve, and I'm pretty sure that is when the computer died. I had planned to blog over break, but...you all know that I didn't!
Hunting...
Deer season ended on December 31. I went out several times, but was not successful for the second year in a row. I'm pretty bummed about that. Kev and I went out on the 29th and actually had 4 does come in within 50 yards of us. Unfortunately, Kev was sky lined. The does were fun for me to listen to. They were snorting and stomping their feet, knowing something wasn't right, but were unable to smell us. We walked out of the pasture following the trail they came in on and that is when we discovered that Kev was sky lined amongst the sagebrush. It was a good end to the season--actually having deer come in like I wanted them to, and getting to listen to them. (I couldn't see the deer as I was behind a different sage brush than Kev. He could see the deer, all I could do is listen and watch Kev and hope that one would come around on my side.)
I am thinking about getting a rifle permit next year. I still want to bow hunt, but dang, hunting on the wide open prairie is much different than hunting from a tree stand along a river among trees!
We spent several wonderful days with family and friends over the holidays. Miss Kat got to go to Colby for 4 days. I made a flying trip up to get her and didn't get to see everyone I wanted to see, but there was a storm coming in, and I wanted to get back home safe and sound. Turned out that we didn't get anything from that storm...but with Kansas weather, one never knows.
Shay-on and Lynn Dale both came down to visit with us. Shay-on and I spent time shopping and cross stitching and reading and talking and eating and...well, we just had a good time. Lynn Dale and Kevin went coyote hunting. They used the 4 wheelers and had a ball. They only got one coyote, but did call several in, so they were happy. We did get to play cards. And Shay-on and I actually won! We did! We won a game by 1 point...and, no I wasn't keeping score.
I am infamous for not keeping score correctly and if the guys win a hand, they might lose 100 points, or we might go set and gain 100 points...or so... This time, Shay-on kept score, and she was accurate and we WON! 99.99% of the time, Kevin and Lynn win every game. I swear they can read each others mind and know what cards each other has. It gets rather annoying, losing all the time!
We went out to Dodge City's new casino. The plan was to eat at the restaurant there (we've heard good reviews), but...once we were told the almost empty restaurant had a 2 hour waiting time for seating, we decided to go elsewhere. Besides, the casino was noisy and smoky and not really my cup of tea. We probably won't go back.
I didn't have any big "home improvement" projects this holiday break. Spent a lot of time just relaxing, which I enjoyed tremendously!
2010 is here and I look forward to another year of change and exciting times for myself and the family.
Today, I'm running our family laptop in to the shop. I think our power cord/supply is all that died. I hope that's the case anyway. We had several brown outs and lost power on Christmas Eve, and I'm pretty sure that is when the computer died. I had planned to blog over break, but...you all know that I didn't!
Hunting...
Deer season ended on December 31. I went out several times, but was not successful for the second year in a row. I'm pretty bummed about that. Kev and I went out on the 29th and actually had 4 does come in within 50 yards of us. Unfortunately, Kev was sky lined. The does were fun for me to listen to. They were snorting and stomping their feet, knowing something wasn't right, but were unable to smell us. We walked out of the pasture following the trail they came in on and that is when we discovered that Kev was sky lined amongst the sagebrush. It was a good end to the season--actually having deer come in like I wanted them to, and getting to listen to them. (I couldn't see the deer as I was behind a different sage brush than Kev. He could see the deer, all I could do is listen and watch Kev and hope that one would come around on my side.)
I am thinking about getting a rifle permit next year. I still want to bow hunt, but dang, hunting on the wide open prairie is much different than hunting from a tree stand along a river among trees!
We spent several wonderful days with family and friends over the holidays. Miss Kat got to go to Colby for 4 days. I made a flying trip up to get her and didn't get to see everyone I wanted to see, but there was a storm coming in, and I wanted to get back home safe and sound. Turned out that we didn't get anything from that storm...but with Kansas weather, one never knows.
Shay-on and Lynn Dale both came down to visit with us. Shay-on and I spent time shopping and cross stitching and reading and talking and eating and...well, we just had a good time. Lynn Dale and Kevin went coyote hunting. They used the 4 wheelers and had a ball. They only got one coyote, but did call several in, so they were happy. We did get to play cards. And Shay-on and I actually won! We did! We won a game by 1 point...and, no I wasn't keeping score.
I am infamous for not keeping score correctly and if the guys win a hand, they might lose 100 points, or we might go set and gain 100 points...or so... This time, Shay-on kept score, and she was accurate and we WON! 99.99% of the time, Kevin and Lynn win every game. I swear they can read each others mind and know what cards each other has. It gets rather annoying, losing all the time!
We went out to Dodge City's new casino. The plan was to eat at the restaurant there (we've heard good reviews), but...once we were told the almost empty restaurant had a 2 hour waiting time for seating, we decided to go elsewhere. Besides, the casino was noisy and smoky and not really my cup of tea. We probably won't go back.
I didn't have any big "home improvement" projects this holiday break. Spent a lot of time just relaxing, which I enjoyed tremendously!
2010 is here and I look forward to another year of change and exciting times for myself and the family.
Monday, September 14, 2009
A day at the State Fair
We went to the State Fair on Saturday. It's the first time Kev has gone to the Kansas State Fair. Last time I was there was 4 years ago, one week after Andy got out of the hospital from his scary bout with Pneumonia. And before that, it had been 20 years! I used to go to the fair all the time when I was in 4-H.
This time, Andy drove up with his girlfriend, while Kev, and I drove up with Miss Kat and one of her friends, Gen. We met Kim & Bob and family at the fair since they live near there. The kids spent their time (and my money) on the Midway, while we adults cruised the commercial exhibits. (Does this mean that I'm getting old, that I'd rather not be on the Midway?)
Kev and I did go in the Domestic Arts building, which I probably enjoyed more than he did. I saw one cross-stitched picture that would look perfect in my kitchen. I just need to find it, buy it and stitch it up!
We looked at domestic solar water pumps (which we could afford), and wind generators (which we can't afford.) We looked at PTO stuff for tractors (which we don't need) and we looked at campers (which we don't need, and can't afford) and we looked at 4 wheelers (which Kev is seriously considering.)
We also walked through the commercial buildings, watching the vendors hawk their merchandise. (How many different kinds of waterless cookware are there? I saw at least 5 vendors!) My favorite vendors? The locally grown honey and the Watkins booth. I dropped some cash at the Watkins booth and stocked up on Clear Vanilla, Double strength Vanilla, Butter flavoring and Almond extract. Now, I'm ready to bake.
We also made a point to go see the Butter Sculpture. It's beautiful, a horse being shod, and the horse just bit the farrier's patootie...but I can't help wondering what happens to all that butter once the fair is over. If they just throw it away, well, I wish they'd call me then, I'd use it! Don't know where I'd store it...and I can just imagine the comments I'd get when it was time to use the butter from the horse's "hindquarters", or the farrier's patootie...
One thing we planned on doing, but didn't, was to ride "Ye Old Mill."
Ye Old Mill is the oldest ride at the fair, built in 1917. It's one of those water rides where you sit in the boat and ride around viewing different vignettes. Some nice, some scary. I wanted to ride it with Kev, cause it's one of those "love canal" rides, and I wanted a smooch on the ride. I got the smooch, but we were just too tired to stand in line for a chance to ride "Ye Old Mill."
Ya know, back when I was in high school and college, I could walk around all day long, and far into the evening at the fair and be ready to go for more the next day. Not anymore! I was pooped by 7:00 when we left! And I was still tired yesterday too. Man, I must be getting old!
All in all, we had a great time at the Kansas State Fair.
This time, Andy drove up with his girlfriend, while Kev, and I drove up with Miss Kat and one of her friends, Gen. We met Kim & Bob and family at the fair since they live near there. The kids spent their time (and my money) on the Midway, while we adults cruised the commercial exhibits. (Does this mean that I'm getting old, that I'd rather not be on the Midway?)
Kev and I did go in the Domestic Arts building, which I probably enjoyed more than he did. I saw one cross-stitched picture that would look perfect in my kitchen. I just need to find it, buy it and stitch it up!
We looked at domestic solar water pumps (which we could afford), and wind generators (which we can't afford.) We looked at PTO stuff for tractors (which we don't need) and we looked at campers (which we don't need, and can't afford) and we looked at 4 wheelers (which Kev is seriously considering.)
We also walked through the commercial buildings, watching the vendors hawk their merchandise. (How many different kinds of waterless cookware are there? I saw at least 5 vendors!) My favorite vendors? The locally grown honey and the Watkins booth. I dropped some cash at the Watkins booth and stocked up on Clear Vanilla, Double strength Vanilla, Butter flavoring and Almond extract. Now, I'm ready to bake.
We also made a point to go see the Butter Sculpture. It's beautiful, a horse being shod, and the horse just bit the farrier's patootie...but I can't help wondering what happens to all that butter once the fair is over. If they just throw it away, well, I wish they'd call me then, I'd use it! Don't know where I'd store it...and I can just imagine the comments I'd get when it was time to use the butter from the horse's "hindquarters", or the farrier's patootie...
One thing we planned on doing, but didn't, was to ride "Ye Old Mill."
Ye Old Mill is the oldest ride at the fair, built in 1917. It's one of those water rides where you sit in the boat and ride around viewing different vignettes. Some nice, some scary. I wanted to ride it with Kev, cause it's one of those "love canal" rides, and I wanted a smooch on the ride. I got the smooch, but we were just too tired to stand in line for a chance to ride "Ye Old Mill."
Ya know, back when I was in high school and college, I could walk around all day long, and far into the evening at the fair and be ready to go for more the next day. Not anymore! I was pooped by 7:00 when we left! And I was still tired yesterday too. Man, I must be getting old!
All in all, we had a great time at the Kansas State Fair.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The big fishing trip
Kev and Andy are leaving me (ok us, since Miss Kat is staying home with me.) The menfolk are going on a fishing trip this weekend. They're meeting up with our former hunting buddy and my "other" husband at the Glen Elder Reservoir in north-central Kansas. This trip is something they used to do quite frequently. Gene, the hunting buddy used to take his little boy, and Kev would take Andy and Lynn would take himself, but Lynn is the one I used to worry about. He just can't be trusted not to teach little boys things that Mamma's don't like.
Like how to put out the fire without using water, but using another readily available liquid. (Think of boys spelling their name in the snow.)
And to think, that I call Lynn my "other" husband. There must be something wrong with me...But anyway, Andy's grown up and Lynn doesn't teach him any bad things anymore...at least I don't think he does.
Back to the trip. They're leaving Friday morning. And Kev's been working fairly hard these last few days at getting them ready. He's checked out the camper, he's checked out brakes and lights and gathered up umpteen fishing poles, other manly things like that.
Me...I'm getting their food ready. I'm not going, and I still have to cook for this trip. Where's the justice in that?
Last night, I made two batches of Enchiladas for the boys to take. See, Kev only married me for my Enchiladas, and the "other" husband likes them almost as much (but he hasn't offered to marry me yet...what's with that?) I made a double batch. Four or five men...20 enchiladas...it should be enough for one meal.
20 tortillas, 4 cups of homemade chili sauce, probably 4 lbs of deer burger, 3 tablespoons of minced garlic, two large onions and two pounds of cheese. That's a lot of food! I was tired by 9:30 when the last pan came out of the oven.
Tonight, I get to make corn flake chewies for the boys. I think those cookies will be the last thing I cook for this fishing trip. But somehow, I don't think my involvement in getting ready for the trip will be finished tonight.
I wonder, why does a fishing trip require so much work from someone who isn't even going?
Like how to put out the fire without using water, but using another readily available liquid. (Think of boys spelling their name in the snow.)
And to think, that I call Lynn my "other" husband. There must be something wrong with me...But anyway, Andy's grown up and Lynn doesn't teach him any bad things anymore...at least I don't think he does.
Back to the trip. They're leaving Friday morning. And Kev's been working fairly hard these last few days at getting them ready. He's checked out the camper, he's checked out brakes and lights and gathered up umpteen fishing poles, other manly things like that.
Me...I'm getting their food ready. I'm not going, and I still have to cook for this trip. Where's the justice in that?
Last night, I made two batches of Enchiladas for the boys to take. See, Kev only married me for my Enchiladas, and the "other" husband likes them almost as much (but he hasn't offered to marry me yet...what's with that?) I made a double batch. Four or five men...20 enchiladas...it should be enough for one meal.
20 tortillas, 4 cups of homemade chili sauce, probably 4 lbs of deer burger, 3 tablespoons of minced garlic, two large onions and two pounds of cheese. That's a lot of food! I was tired by 9:30 when the last pan came out of the oven.
Tonight, I get to make corn flake chewies for the boys. I think those cookies will be the last thing I cook for this fishing trip. But somehow, I don't think my involvement in getting ready for the trip will be finished tonight.
I wonder, why does a fishing trip require so much work from someone who isn't even going?
Friday, July 24, 2009
Couch potatoes
Kev and I usually get quite a bit done around the house in the evenings. He'll go outside and do "guy stuff", like mess around in the garden, mow, run the weed eater, pull stickers, spray weeds, mess around in his shop, mess around with his smoker, etc.
I'll do supper, clean up the kitchen, yell at Miss Kat for leaving the kitchen a mess all day, pick up the living room, pay bills, go outside and water my flowers, mess around with the cats, yell at either Andy or Miss Kat for something, gather eggs, talk to my chickens, check on my lilac bushes and plants, cross stitch, etc.
But not this week.
This week, we've both been very lazy.
I mean, I haven't yelled at either of my kids all week! What's up with that?
No, we've been serious couch potatoes this week. We watched movies every night this week. And, if we're on the couch watching TV, we aren't outside doing all our other "stuff." I can't remember any other time when we've been so lazy for 4 nights in a row! That's insane!
(But, I haven't been as lazy as Kev...I've been cross stitching while watching those movies, so I'm not as much of a potato as he is!)
This morning, we discussed what all we want to get done at home this weekend. And, then Kev said, "Bring home a couple of movies."
We'll see how this weekend turns out...
I'll do supper, clean up the kitchen, yell at Miss Kat for leaving the kitchen a mess all day, pick up the living room, pay bills, go outside and water my flowers, mess around with the cats, yell at either Andy or Miss Kat for something, gather eggs, talk to my chickens, check on my lilac bushes and plants, cross stitch, etc.
But not this week.
This week, we've both been very lazy.
I mean, I haven't yelled at either of my kids all week! What's up with that?
No, we've been serious couch potatoes this week. We watched movies every night this week. And, if we're on the couch watching TV, we aren't outside doing all our other "stuff." I can't remember any other time when we've been so lazy for 4 nights in a row! That's insane!
(But, I haven't been as lazy as Kev...I've been cross stitching while watching those movies, so I'm not as much of a potato as he is!)
This morning, we discussed what all we want to get done at home this weekend. And, then Kev said, "Bring home a couple of movies."
We'll see how this weekend turns out...
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
a family of boneheads...
Yesterday morning, I got out a package of deer steak for supper. Andy got home a little after 4 p.m. and put it in the crock pot with a can of Cream of Mushroom soup. I thought it would be done by 6ish, and we'd enjoy it for supper.
It wasn't done at 6. It was done around 7ish, but by then, my family had mutinied and had already found something to eat. Andy unplugged the crock pot, but neglected to tell anyone. I was outside, working with Kev, as we planted some plants in the garden. We came in after 8, and had a snack. We both saw the crock pot, but neither of us thought anything of it.
Until this morning. Shortly after 6 a.m., Kev said "Guess what, there's still a crock pot full of deer steak sitting on the counter--unplugged."
Great. Just great.
Our cats are now enjoying the meal that I didn't serve my family last night. Instead, I intended to serve it to my family tonight. I have no idea what we are having to eat tonight.
See, we are boneheads! Andy is a bonehead for not telling anyone that he unplugged it. I'm a bonehead for not remembering to check it. Kev's a bonehead because he should have thought to remind me to put it in the fridge. Kat is a bonehead because she wasn't even involved, but maybe if she had been; it would have gotten put away.
sheesh.
It wasn't done at 6. It was done around 7ish, but by then, my family had mutinied and had already found something to eat. Andy unplugged the crock pot, but neglected to tell anyone. I was outside, working with Kev, as we planted some plants in the garden. We came in after 8, and had a snack. We both saw the crock pot, but neither of us thought anything of it.
Until this morning. Shortly after 6 a.m., Kev said "Guess what, there's still a crock pot full of deer steak sitting on the counter--unplugged."
Great. Just great.
Our cats are now enjoying the meal that I didn't serve my family last night. Instead, I intended to serve it to my family tonight. I have no idea what we are having to eat tonight.
See, we are boneheads! Andy is a bonehead for not telling anyone that he unplugged it. I'm a bonehead for not remembering to check it. Kev's a bonehead because he should have thought to remind me to put it in the fridge. Kat is a bonehead because she wasn't even involved, but maybe if she had been; it would have gotten put away.
sheesh.
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