CAN YOU BELIEVE ANOTHER WEEK HAS SLIPPED BY?

The week has simply FLOWN by.  I don't know how that many days could go by that fast.  Fact is, they did.

Last Sunday Randy worked on our furnace.  We had 'wisely' left about 12 bushel of corn in the hopper from last year.  The temps had gotten warm enough that to burn it would have been wasteful, not to mention it would have cooked us.  The thought was we'd have it there to start the season this year.  Sometimes it gets cold before we've gotten our load of corn. 

Note to selves - DO NOT DO THAT NEXT YEAR.  Corn tends to get smooshy if left where humidity can get to it.  Add limited circulation to the mix and you have a start to an old fashioned 'moon-shine business'.  Poor Randy spent a lot of time nursing the corn through the auger.  Poking it and breaking it up.  Adding enough dry corn to make it work.  Not ALL of the corn was yucky, not most of it.  Just enough to make it - ucky.

Finally today, we are burning totally on good fresh corn and it is working well.  No smoke in the air, no smell of alcohol in the air, just good warm heat.  Which is good because I don't know how cold it is right now, but this morning the bank thermostat said THIRTEEN DEGREES.

It was just plain CUTE yesterday as I was leaving work.  Looking left and right and left and right trying to get a clear shot at getting out onto Houser Street from Harmony Lane.  All of a sudden something hit my window.  It was the perfect distance away from my eyes that it was in perfect focus.  One tiny little snowflake on my window.  I could see all its tiny branches and the little frosty tendrils away from those.  It was such a shock to have it come so plainly into view.  Just one little lost snowflake.  I couldn't see any others anywhere when I was looking.

We have running water in the basement.  It's the most 'shout-it-from-the-mountain-tops-worthy' thing that has happened here!  All these years we've had a drizzle from the basement bathroom faucet.  Not a stream, a drizzle.  Randy worked on it this week , got a new faucet on it and now it gushes out at record breaking speed (you would consider it NORMAL).  I can wipe things down!  I can clean that bathroom.  I can --- oh the possibilities are endless!  (Thank you Randy!)

Nick came hobbling home from work Tuesday night.  He had been helping to move a fridge at work and came down on a stair funny.  OUCH!  By Wednesday evening he was walking pretty good though.  It was good he had Wednesday off work, so he could stay off of it all day.  He actually brought up a ton of our Christmas decorations from the basement for me.  I was (am) so grateful for the help. 

Tuesday I turned the Welch Hotel Apartments over to the new management team.  I met with them (and my district manager) for about 1 1/2 hours.  Went through the things I had put together for them, and gave them a tour of the building.  They said it was nice to have things so well organized.  My district manager said they asked about keeping me, but she told the I'd been told it would be a conflict of interest for me to work for my current company and a new company both.  Now I am waiting for God to provide a different source of income to replace that one.  I know it will happen!

You'll notice I have not say the "J" word, not even ONE TIME.  I know you think all I talk about is "J".  I do NOT!  Why, I don't even know if I like her!  She's messy sometimes and poops her pants.  Who could like that?  Okay - I lied.  I love her to bits and am so tickled to be her Gram(me).  In fact I put together a couple of scrapbook pages of our trip to Chuck E. Cheese this week.

But just so you have a break - I won't talk anymore (this time) about her.  I won't even show you her pictures.  Instead ... I think I will show you pictures of ME!   Ahh yes!  Isn't that going to be fun?  I had to take them myself.  I went in the bathroom so I could use the reflection off the mirror to see if I had myself in the viewfinder.  When Randy saw them, he said "where did you take that?- I recognize that border from somewhere in our house, but where?"  (It is the bathroom here by the family room -- a place he frequents quite often!)  *tee hee*  Get ready!  Here I come!  (If you hold the cursor over the pictures, you'll see the description of what each picture is.)

Have a great week -- looking forward to hearing from you!

CHUCK E CHEESE ADVENTURE

It was so much fun watching Jaimee last night. We took her to Chuck E. Cheese. She was very excited at the mechanical creatures in the show. Unfortunately her Gram(me) is techno challenged and apparently the only video I actually got was a little footage of Randy’s bottom. Her eyes were wide open and she was pointing with both of her pointer fingers and her arms were moving and legs and … every muscle was animated. She was SO good all night even though we had her until almost 10 p.m. She was really, really tired at the end and wouldn’t have lasted much longer for us.

DOUBLE TURKEY TIME!!

I forgot to mention the people in my pics from the Hinkhouse Turkey-day that you may not know ... our good friends (or are they family, I sorta forget!  *smile*) Dana and Kelly and THEIR Rhiannon joined us again this year.  We've counted them as part of our Thanksgiving gala for so long that they are now in charge of turkey!  At least the last couple of years!

We were also happy to have our friends Dean and Sharon Wooten.  Dean's wife went to visit her sister.  While she was gone the stove and oven at their house fritzed out.  So we invited Dean and Sharon (sister/brother) to join us.  We were glad they did.  I think they said the stove/oven would be repaired on Monday.

After I sent the other Ludke-ville I got a quick note from my cousin DeWayne Dusenberry (Aunt Lois' oldest son) with a few pictures from a family vacation this summer and a few from THEIR yesterday Turkey-fest!  I'll include them here for those of you who are interested!  (Aunt Lois - for those of you who do not know - is my mom's sister.)

THANKSGIVING FESTIVITY

What a great day!  It all worked out so well - or at least I thought! In large part thanks to the invention of ... the crockpot.  In years past there has been a mad scramble at the last minute to make sure the potatoes were mashed and warm. To make sure the noodles were cooked and warm. To have room in the oven to keep everything up to temperature while everything... you get the picture. GETTING EVERYTHING READY TO EAT and warm.  With a kitchen full of hungry folks!


I decided to try mashing the potatoes before the crowd got there and keeping them warm in the crockpot (SUCCESS!!!) I have a smaller crockpot that I had the corn in (SUCCESS!!) The turkey came already cut and warm in a crockpot (SUCCESS!!) The green bean casserole came in a crockpot (SUCCESS!!)

And while still filled and layered and brimming to capacity -- the oven was able to keep other things warm. The microwave got called into action to beef up the heat on the gravy at the last minute and off we went with a nice warm meal.

I was in the bathroom working on my eternal youth treatment (aka Prep H application to my face!) and of course my Bare Mineral application and my foofing of hair ... you know -- the personal stuff when the Pharrs came.  Then Downey's arrived next ... and gradually the meal unfolded!

There was SO MUCH FOOD. I should have taken a picture of it all. I had two 2' x 4' tables end to end with desserts. Cookies, cakes, pumpkin bars, pies (apple, cherry, and pumpkin). We had another 2' x 4' table with salads, relish tray, etc. (pea salad, cucumber salad, 3 cheeseballs and crackers, olives and pickles and ... ??) Then we had the hot foods on the counter - probably a total of 15-18 foot of food there ... turkey, mashed potatoes, a potato casserole, brocolli casserole, 3 kinds of sweet potatos, vegetarian entree, two kinds of dressing, corn, corn/mac casserole, meatballs, ... I'm forgetting some I'm sure. Oh -- and the rolls and butter were already on the table!!

It was a land of plenty. We had - 32 or 34 people - I can't remember what I counted up Hmm? just now when I counted in my head I got 31. Oh well ... we had a houseful. We ate around 2-ish. That worked out nicely (I thought) and people hung around and talked, played games, and some watched the movie UP. Only downside there is that Mom got called into action by Uncle Hib to find him a hamburger on a day when no place was open to GET a hamburger, so we started without her and had a pretty good start on our meal eating before she got back.

After round one of the glutton-fest was completed, we settled back for some talking, laughing, game playing, etc.  Joy and Keith started it by bringing out a game called SETS.  Other games were Scrabble SMASH - no wait - it was called SLAM.  Scrabble Slam.  And Phase 10 and Skipbo.  Later in the evening some watched the movie UP. 

Some sweet folk did dishes and started the dishwasher, wiped counters - everyone was great about taking home their left overs (sometimes I get too much left here and then ??? what do I do with it all?)

It was a great day. The big surprise was that Joy and Keith, well Keith anyway, announced they had gotten married November 10th.  There was sort of a non-reaction at first.  I think people were taken off guard initially while the news sunk in.   I think we wouldn't have been surprised if they'd announced they were GETTING married. But GOTTEN married surprised us all. They hadn't even told Joy's kids. So welcome Keith (Barrett) to the family!  We watched the DVD of their marriage on the beach 5 minutes from his house.  They had the camera on the back of the car.  They were married by and Adventist pastor with just the two of them present (if you don't count the metal detector couple in the background at the water's edge).

Usually we have gone around the room and done "what are you thankful for" -- this year I didn't do that.  Keith was going to use the marriage as his "what are you thankful for".  So everyone -- NEXT YEAR ... it's back in.  We let him down!  (And ourselves - because we should ALWAYS state what we're thankful for.  It gives testimony to the blessings of God!)  Sorry Keith!

Anyway -- we DID have a super day. Hope yours was as well.

 PS  Wynter and Andy we missed you!  Tearney Chance ... was also not here and Holly and Joe.
 
To Randy's side of our family, we always miss you guys.  I'm sure Deb and Jill at least are out shopping til they drop today!  I believe the plan was the Smuda's were spending the night at the Bauleke's so they could get a good start on the shopping today.
 
Here is the photo-record of the day.  (Aunt Nita - I used YOU as the scapegoat when taking pictures.  You mentioned I didn't have many pictures of the family ... so I told them I HAD to take pics or Aunt Nita would get me!)

IF THIS DOESN'T MAKE YOU WANT THIS BASKET ...

If you aren't able to get pictures, sorry!  I just had to post these pictures.  If this doesn't make you want to buy this Longaberger Basket - then there is NO selling you on it.  *smile*

We snapped a zillion pictures yesterday.  I didn't spend any time fixing these up.  I 'tried' to eliminate the red eye in some of them - but didn't do a very good job.  She looks like she has an eye disorder in some of them.  Sit back and watch -- 21 pictures (and the only reason there aren't MORE is 'cuz I got tired of messing with them right now!) 

We had a nice Sabbath.  I didn't know the Pharr-Phamily was coming down, so it was a great surprise when they walked into church. But then ... PANIC!!  I hadn't planned anything for lunch and Mother Hubbard's Cupboard is fairly bare. 

But guess what!  I took the last of my oatmeal, the last of a tube of crackers (crunched), the last of some Special "K" cereal, a package of onion soup mix and the last of the eggs I had.  Mix, mix, mix -- fry, fry, fry and YUMMY!  They weren't so bad.  We had some mushroom soup gravy or red sauce (s'getti sauce) to put on them.  Add some corn and ... ? well, we didn't starve!

Later we had some folks in for game night.  Joy, Colton, Maggie, JoDe, Reese, Ryan, Rhiannon, Jaimee, Mark, Bellie, and Sharon Wooten -- we ended our evening with FARKLE.  Ha!  It wasn't 1/2 bad - once we figured it out!  We have to do it again soon.  Game night that is.  I think with all the game choices we have -- maybe we should throw 'em all in a basket (the names, not the games) and draw one to play each evening.  I love games.

Wynter how did your Thanksgiving go?  She was hosting her mother's side of the family at her house today.  Wyn is a great cook.  She makes things from scratch and she tries new things.  Like they were having a dessert that had phillo dough (the flaky layery pastry) and mango and ??? what else?   It sounded way interesting.  And she had an artichoke/turkey something she was making.  Hope it went extra great for you kiddo!

JILL is found!  JOANNIE is found!  ARLENE is found!  The first two are part of that missing Ludke-side family!  Arlene is my dad's cousin.  We had been so worried about everyone (still are quite concerned over some of the missing folks we know) - fretting day and night (and night and day) -- hoping everyone is okay.  THANK YOU guys for the news!  I love hearing from you.

Jill had an exciting adventure with a school break-in (she is principal and teacher at their school) - a deer with antlers and everything broke in and ravaged the school while they waited for emergency help - it finally broke out through a window - slicing it's belly open badly.  What an ordeal!  You must have an abundance of deer there like we do here!  WOW.

I need to go get ready for bed.  It is another week ... and that means I have to get up bright and early to do Vonda's Vine and get to work by 7:30 am.

I need to figure out what my grocery list is -- and get that going.  I got all the tables set up today (the sit and eat tables).  I am going to set up a couple of smaller tables for food.  So preparation is coming along pretty good.  Does anyone (near me) have either a card table (regular square) and/or one of those small 2' x 4' tables that is height adjustable.  (I already have yours Rhiannon.)  If so let me know so I can run by and pick it up.  I could use one or both of those sizes.  Whatever is available.

Love to all of you -- off to get ready for bed!  (Its only 8:30 -- but I'm slow! and there are a couple of other things I need to do before I can actually retire!)

OH -- and the T-day plans continue ...

To the tune of that ageless favorite from "Sound of Music" ... FAVORITE THINGS ...  (I think it was Sound of Music).

Green beans and taters and
Turkey with gravy
Noodles and fruit salad and
Rolls smeared with butter.

Golden brown dressing
all baked up and warm.

These are a few of our Turkey day foods ...

Punkin pie and punkin bars
and macaroni and corn ...
Special K loaf and much, much more
I'm running out of creative juice

But these are a few of our favorite FOODS ...

See you Thanksgiving day at 2-ish!

REWARD!!

There will be a substantial reward (of gratitude) for information leading to the rediscovery of ANY Ludke-side family relatives.  We have not heard a peep from anyone in eons.  Nope, nope, nope!

Not any from Minnesota (tho those were the last ones we heard from...with darling pictures of cute little girls!), not any from Maryland, none from Georgia, or Iowa, or even Pennsylvania.  They are absolutely and positively MISSING.  Poof!

I'm sure your lives are just as boring >>ahem, EXCITING!!!<< as ours -- *LOL* -- I know you are thinking NO ONE'S life is as pathetic as YOURS Von -- NO ONE's! -- so anyway that's even more reason to come out of the woodwork.  Give my pathetic little life some meaning - some PURPOSE.

Same goes for any of the rest of you family and 'family of friends'.  SERIOUSLY!  We're WORRIED about all of you!  I was overjoyed, I will say, with a long juicy note from Cousin Kathy in California.  Your life seems like an interesting one.  Can't wait to see the pictures of Casey's girls.  And Kirk, while your news wasn't good - it was nice to get a personal note from you as well.  Thanks.

MAKE IT GO AWAY --   It's too much!  I'm talking, of course, about that pot of chili that I put together a few days ago.  I've had chili twice a day ever since (except for one night).  I can't do it much longer!  There are consequences to having that much chili for one person.  I'll just let you Google that one ... 'consequences of eating too much chili' ... I have no idea what you'll ACTUALLY get as a search result.  But ... well, 'nuf said about that!

Sounds like we're going to have a little family get-together here to play games, talk, watch a movie or SOMETHING on Saturday night.  Rhiannon is in charge.  I'm just an attendee.  I bought a new game called FARKLE (and no, it has nothing to do with chili soup).  I know, I know -- we were moving on ...

Anyway I am hoping for a fun relaxed evening with folks I love! 

I went to TOYLAND at Blaine's Farm & Fleet on Wednesday night.  Rhiannon was looking for a fence to keep her baby in.  So she was going there anyway.  I remembered hearing some hype about all the toys that they have there. So I called and said ... TAKE ME TOO!  I wanted very much to see what bright eyes would think about all the colorful toys. 

I put reindeer ears on her.  They were cute.  And she rode a rocking horse.  She seemed to like that.  I had a good time anyway.  Jaimee seemed to like it and Rhiannon ... she started to foam at the mouth from all of the educational anticpation for her baby!  She had visions of learning stations dancing in her head.  The teacher in her was coming out and all Jaimee and I wanted to do was honk the octopus legs!

Randy has been rebuilding Ryan and Rhiannon's computer.  She wants to do her videos with high definition.  Her computer, the way it was - didn't have enough steam.  So dad is putting all sorts of new stuff in it to make it better than it was.  He wanted Rhiannon to hang around a little longer last night because ... "I'm almost done!!"  The 'puter was going home with her.  He's had his little laboratory down in the basement.  He didn't come up and didn't come up ... and when he finally did.  He said he just wanted a little Jaimee time and the computer would be another day.

Today he's spent a lot of time working on it.  Something about it needed a bunch of stuff put back on it again.  Just now he went to the garage and came back in with a HAMMER.  I'm thinking it isn't going so well down there in the laboratory.

Okay -- I need to run.  Take care.  Remember that reward!
Love to all!

WHY IS IT?

Why is it that all day long I think about all the things I 'get' to do when I am off work?  And then when I am home, I can only think of what am I going to eat and WHEN can I go to bed? 

I'm tired tonight. 

I did throw a pot of chili together when I got home tonight.  Went to the store to get SOMETHING to eat.  I was thinking soup.  Looked at row after row of canned soup and nothing seemed to scream ... "ME!!!!"  Until I saw a can of chili.  That peeped ... "ME!"  But what screamed "ME" was the idea of a bowl of hot homemade chili. 

I just finished eating it (finally) and Nick is enjoying a bowl now that he is home from work.  Good choice Vonda Rae!

Now my main thought is ... when can I go to bed?  *LOL*

I baked a bunch of cookies for the center yesterday; still have some to bake in the fridge.  I ran out of steam about 6-ish last night, so covered them with saran wrap.  Will bake them probably tomorrow night.  TOO tired tonight.

We ran to IC Saturday night to enjoy a little time with the dumpling.  Jaimee is 'super-sonic speed baby' now!  -- at least compared to the little squirt we saw the week before.  She is interested in everything and is off to explore the world with or without her adults. 

She got a little tired and started fussing after a bit.  I held her on my lap for a little bit and fed her some Cheerios and ice chips.  She and little Reese have a great appreciation for good ice!   It revived her and she was sweet as pie.

Rory, Jaimee's dog (or is Jaimee Rory's human?) - laid by us.  I touched Rory's ear and had Jaimee touch Rory's ear.  I said "Rory's ear".  Then I touched my ear and said "Gram(me)'s ear." and then I touched her ear and said "Jaimee's ear."  Then started over with Rory.  At that point she reached up and touched her own ear.  She's getting so big, in such a little way!  It's fun having a little person in the family again.

Gotta run.  I am counting down the minutes until I can go to bed!  ZZZZZZZZzzzzz!

Just a couple more weeks until part of my afternoon job ends.  I am anxiously awaiting the miracle of provision that God has in mind then!  I KNOW He will provide.  Your prayers will be appreciated as I wait!

WITH SINCERE CONDOLENCES ...

Judging from the 'fragrance' of the air here near our computer - I'm guessing Mickey and Minnie recently lost another Iowa relative.  Uff-da!  And yet, I'd rather put out DECON and take a chance on this odor - than have to live with LIVE relatives of the famous couple.  It's doesn't happen THAT often and even now it's not so overwhelming that you can't breath. 

A few years ago (before I started putting out DeCon) one died in our heat vent somewhere.  We did EVERYTHING we could think of to diminish the smell.  It was horrid.  And being in the heat vent, the warm moving air kept it especially pungent!

It was fun this week to have a day off in the middle of the week.  Being a City employee I got Veteran's Day off.  Whoo hoo!  I played in my basement for a little while.  Meaning I made a couple of cards!  I feel like I don't get down there nearly enough!  It's so relaxing.  Except - right now I have about a thousand dead wannaBees down there. 

WannaBees are the Japanese Beetles that wanna be Ladybugs.  We've been inundated with them here in the last month. 

Got our Goddard Family gala Thanksgiving planned.  Not me personally got it planned.  There was the customary gathering of the Goddards in a food establishment and that's where it got planned.  I'm so thankful for the cousins who took charge.

I'm in charge of POP!  I know that recipe, so that is what I am doing.  Wyn - I think Gr'ma kind of volunteered that you would bake a turkey.  I have a roaster pan if you want to use it!  See what happens when you get the reputation for being a good cook?    My cousin Tammy said she LIKES to cook.  That on a day off on the weekend she likse to cook and actually thinks "what can I cook next?".  I don't think that thought has EVER crossed my mind.  Not once!  "What do I HAVE to cook next?" has probably been there a time or two. 

My friend Sharon, when I was talking about dressing for Thanksgiving said "oh that's EASY!" - keep in mind that she is a professional cook.  So she probably not only makes it easily, but GOOD.

Nick shaved his head this week.  He's such a party pooper - I wanted SO BAD to take pictures of the process, but he threatened me!  LIFE and LIMB -- so I didn't.  Seriously though there is almost NOTHING as amusing as seeing someone with huge shaved chunks out of their hair here and there!  I should have done it anyway.  At least at my funeral there would have been funny pictures to show while telling how I met my demise! 

Stamping last night at Tammy and Dwayne's was fun.  I even got to sit and make the cards.  SO now I have duplicates of some, but that's okay.  Unless my memory really fails me and I send the same card to the same person -- who will know!?  

Thanksgiving for our clan is, as far as I know -- here at my house.  ON THANKSGIVING DAY -- around 2-ish.  Bring by anything that you can the day before so I can get things warming and ready if possible. 

And so there you have it -- boredom reigns supreme!  Oh ... one thing!  We got a weird email today.  It was kind of an unbelievable email.  It was from someone we KNOW and had the CORRECT email address (theirs) and it said they were in Nigeria (big red flag here!) on a vacation and blah-blah-blah ... sad story and they needed money.

First of all the Nigeria thing is always a clue.  But then --- these ARE people who have traveled the world.  What IF something had happened to him and he was using his yahoo account to TRY to contact someone here in Muscatine?  Wouldn't we be sad if we found out that we should have done something?  (It was Gary Pudewell for those of you who know him.)  So after talking together, Randy called Gisele and Gary's house.  And Gary is okay.  NOT in Nigeria.  They had a virus in their computer and it was using the email account to spam people.  So if you get an email from someone you know -- and they are in Nigeria on a vacation needing money ... well, you handle it however you want, but it's probably the same thing.

Later gaters!  HAPPY SABBATH!!

A LOT TO SAY ABOUT ... STUFF!

You might wanna get some chips and dip and a soda ... I've got a bunch to say!  *wink*

First -- THANKSGIVING PLANS:

I'm planning for it here - unless anyone says "NO WAY!"  Tom Turkey and a fruit salad are already taken care of.  So what are you planning to bring (you don't have to be specific, just so we don't have a lot of duplication!)  I am doing smashed taters and the rolls for sure. 

Time?  Didn't we do it a little later in the day last year with pretty good results?  What time works best for everyone?

Night/day before - start bringing your stuff (if you choose to bring a lot of stuff) early so I can have it warm and waiting (we'll use crock pots and such to keep it all perking along). 

Mom?  Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same if we said don't bring ANYthing - but how about you don't bring EVERYthing!  *smile*  Choose a couple of things like everyone else (as long as it includes pumpkin pie).  Make the day a joy for you too!

Second - SOMETHING BUGGING ME FOR DAYS!!

What happened to tolerance and kindness in this world?  I heard something so mean spirited this week that it bugs me.  Why do some people think they can say ANYTHING they want -- outloud -- and not have to worry about hurting other people.  The Bible says that without the love of God - people's hearts will wax cold.  Cold wax is hard!  Hard hearted people. 

Please all - forgive me if I've been mean-spirited in words or actions and have hurt you in any way.  I like to think that I wouldn't PURPOSELY do that (except I have to Randy sometimes -- sorry honey!).

Third - I missed the jammies memo!

I am no fashionista - you might have noticed!  Stop laughing!  But I did go and get a haircut this week (again) and I have to say that my hair was looking so good today that I wished I could look in my rearview mirror all the rest of the day!  {{insert wolf-whistle here!!}}

But seriously I must have missed the memo that says being an adult female (or male) and wearing flannel jammie pants in public was attractive, appropriate, or ???  I saw a lady AT CITY HALL today with flannel TINKERBELL pants on.  She was a grown up -- and she strolled in like she MEANT to be there in her PJ's.  I had to conciously drag my eyes AWAY from her - because if I hadn't I KNOW my mouth would have soon said "excuse me ma'am, do you know you're in your jammies?"

Later I got to thinking that I've seen that more and more - and Randy - NO MATTER WHAT THE RESPONSE FROM ANYONE ON THIS IS ... you are STILL not allowed to wear your snowflake pants, your plaid pants, or any other pant that I may deem inappropriate outdoor attire ... OUTDOORS -- oops!  a little sidetracked there ... mighta been an issue once (or twice) -- anyway seems like flannel pants with Tinkerbell or stars, or polka dots or clouds ... and even sometimes SLIPPERS are showing up more often.

My main question - since I missed the memo and all -- is if you wear this kind of attire - is it WITH a bra or without!??


And last ... finally to the end of my ramble (this time!!) --

Anyone who has ever met Nick's dog Ti - knows that at our house Ti is synonymous with NAUGHTY DOG!  All manner of naughtiness eminates from this pup.  He's lucky he's cute and has a nice personality.  Or he'd find himself on a back alley of some Chinatown somewhere ... not long for the world!  Chewed everything you can think of - including my leather sofa (BTW Nick -- when does that go for repair?), chewed NEW shoes (and old), oh my -- this is way long enough that I don't need to make a chew list.  Everything.

Well, I subscribe to a thing that gets sent to my email each day called StoryPeople.  It's just quirky little one sentence 'stories' that appeal to my sense of humor.  More often than not people look at me when something Brian Andreas has written makes me smile - and say HUH?  Well today's was funny to me because ... #1) I listen to public radio a LOT (love it) and #2) it made me think of naughty Ti. 

I put the following together. 

LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE ...

It's not the s-lo-w lane actually, because there is always plenty to do.  With 1/3 of my afternoon job coming to an end at the end of the month, I have found myself up to my neck in things that I want to tie up before I turn over the property. 

Today I was able to drive to Iowa City and shop and purchase an egress ladder for one of the units.  Three years ago when the property reopened after major refurbishing, it passed inspection and has until now.  An inspector determined it needed a few changes in one room to make that unit compliant with code.  Hence my shopping trip.  I'm glad to have that purchase made.  It will be delivered in 2 days and installed by the maintenance guy and we're good to go with a reinspection.

Of course every trip to the IC area incorporates a squeeze of my baby J into it!  Today was no exception.  She was supposed to be napping, but was still awake when I got there.  I got to change a stinky diaper.  (Under every stinky diaper is still a soft baby bottom - cute as can be!)  Then she demonstrated her every improving skills at crawiling and manipulating things with her hands.

The day ended with getting my hair cut.  Thank you Rhiannon for going with me.  BORING as it was. You didn't have to go, but it was nice!  I like my cut better now that I'm home and seeing it in my own mirror!  I always look spectacular in the downstairs bathroom mirror!  *wink-lol* 

Bellie, I got some jasmine rice.  Now to find myself a good Roasted Tomato Soup recipe (anyone?) -- it has to have roasted tomatoes, garlic, onion and cream - and be topped with jasmine rice.  I had a bowl of Roasted Tomato Soup with jasmine rice this week and it was superb.  Now to duplicate it.  GLORIA????  I thought of you immediately - it seemed like a recipe you might try.  Have a good recipe?  This was thick (in part because of the scoop of rice in it) but also from the tomato and other things.

Off to bedroom I go -- It's still to early to say off to BED I go, but I can at least go to the bedroom and read or something until an appropriate time.  I'm pooped!

DAY ONE OF FALL BACK! Did you remember?

I am sure going to enjoy (???) getting up tomorrow better than I have been for the last couple of weeks.  It's been SO dark in the morning.  I like light in the sky (at least a smidge - is asking for one or two small sunbeams all that much?)!  Probably won't like the darkness coming before I get home though. 

I guess it doesn't really matter one way or the other.  I don't get to make the choices!

Here are a few more pictures taken yesterday that I just HAD to share.  It's our little monkey.  See her tail and the banana in her back pocket?  She could have cared less, but we sure thought she was cute!  We took these when we came back to our house after the farm and just before our small group started.



Poor Nick.  He is really sick.  He didn't feel good before he left for work yesterday, but he went anyway.  When he got home he ate some soup and went straight to bed.  He got up today long enough for me to make him some oatmeal and get him some Sprite and soda crackers.  Haven't seen him since. He's been sleeping pretty much straight for over 24-hours now.

I worked on my card projects today.  I have several I have to do.  I'm going to do part of my community service as a card making class for ladies at Hershey Manor.  I have one of two projects done for there.  And I have an idea for the second one (which is 1/2 of the battle!).  I also got some stuff ready for our next stamping night.  So as of November 1st -- I'm really on top of it.  I won't stay there, but *ha!* I'll enjoy it for tonight!

I better get off of here and do something else.

Ludke family -- where are you guys?  I haven't heard from ANYONE lately!!

A DAY ON THE FARM!

Another beautiful day at the farm.  That little house holds a lot of love!  It's a tight fit with all of us gathered, but it's filled with chatter, smells of good food and love!

We arrived after church and already several had gathered!  Mom was busy in the kitchen and it was smelling wonderful.  She works too hard!  Wynter and Rhiannon chopped up some onion.  Obviously I had not trained my daughter in the art of onion chopping.  She did pretty good though.  Wynter was the champion of the onion chopper though! 

Tons of toppings from the aforementioned onions to tomatoes to to black olives, sour cream, guacamole ... and that was just for the tacos!  There was fajitas (with choices of chicken, steak and tofu, four mexican style casseroles (and my ever thoughtful mom had mac and cheese for those who weren't Mexican food fans).  Not to mention a bevy of desserts.

Mom -- it was delicious -- but SIMPLIFY!!  *lol*  or DELEGATE!  It's okay (REALLY) to give us each a recipe and a list of "to-do"s.  Thank you though for the amazing food!  I know I appreciated a delicious meal and I'm sure others did as well!

And Joy -- she made a couple of pies.  So she still gets her title ... of YOUNGEST FAVORITE DAUGHTER!

Bellie and Mark came a little later as Bellie works at the Lutheran Homes.  She is a nurse there and sometimes her schedule includes weekends.  She had her FORTIETH (40) birthday this last week too!  Happy birthday dear sister!

Also congrats to Mark and Bellie on their 3rd anniversary this month and John and Gail on their 18th anniversary.

We enjoyed having Ryan home for the weekend.  He did children's story and Rhiannon had special music for church.  Jaimee was happy to have her daddy.  Hard as it was to have her sitting so close to us in church - we refrained taking her from Ryan because she hadn't seen him in two whole weeks.  She seemed perfectly content to be sitting in her father's arms. 

We left the farm and came home to get ready for small group.  We are well over 1/2 way through the Desire of Ages.  Much as I am enjoying it - it's a LONG book and we will all be glad for a change.  We read through the chapters in the book and then read the account in the Bible as well. 

After small group - Sabbath was done and we rooted around for food (basically sandwiches) and popcorn left from small group.  Watched the movie The Propsal.  It was a cute movie.  Had a few naughty words, but not as bad as so many.  Things like referring to your backside as A-- and stuff like that.  But the F-word was NOT in it.  I hate that.   Wish they could make a movie without any of those words ...

Here are some pictures of our three little characters (the great-grandchildren) plus Colton was in a few and JoDe, Rhiannon and Tonya were in some.

NOT MUCH HAPPENING ...

Not so much going on - I'm just glad it is Sabbath.  I'm ready for a nice quiet Sabbath.  Are you?

This week started pretty regular and then seemed to shift into high gear.  Partly because I filled in all day at City Hall on Wednesday and only ran to my afternoon job over the lunch hour.  That meant Thursday I worked a little later in the evening and then again today I had some things I had to accomplish.  So I went in.

Typically I try to get my hours in for my afternoon job so I don't have to go on Friday.  It's not such a big deal during the summer months, but these winter months it's almost impossible to work all day and get things tied down in time for Sabbath. 

Rhiannon and Jaimee came down this afternoon for a little bit.  Rhiannon has special music tomorrow at church.  Randy said it sounded really nice today.  They got the speaker settings all figure out and she got the opportunity to work with the mike so she knows how she will sound.  Pray for her that nerves are abated when she starts to sing.  Ryan has children's story!  He didn't remember saying 'yes' to that -- thought he had agreed to prayer or offeratory.  So that was a surprise to him.

Rhiannon was so excited for Ryan to get home.  It's been 2 weeks since he's seen his little girlie and she's done SO MUCH changing the last couple of weeks.  Rhiannon said she's a crawler now!  Meaning FORWARD crawler!

Hey Goddard girls (and guys) -- wanna know where we get our amazingly gorgeous look?  *LOL*  Here is a picture Mark's son Zachary found in the Ocar Grossheim collection.  It was taken in June 1928 - and is of Grandpa (Ivan)'s sister Sini.  Isn't she pretty?

I DID THE CRIME - now I have to pay the fine!

No, this orange color isn't to represent anything to do with HALLOWEEN.  It's to represent the pretty ORANGE jumpsuit the county let's you wear if you are a criminal!  I'm trying  to avoid that little ensemble!

FIRST -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DADDY!! I'm the worst daughter as far as those things. I haven't even called. I had to work all day at City Hall. Spent my lunch hour running to my afternoon job and then back. Tonight I just got home a little bit ago (it's almost 7 p.m. now). I'm zonked. Still have to finish up Vonda's Vine - evening edition - and do the church bulletin! ZZZZZZzzzzz!

I have to start thinking about my plan for conducting my community service time - those 25 hours to rectify my crime of speeding (with an expired license no less!). I've talked to one place and she was happy to have me come do a couple of card making classes for the seniors there. So will at least start with that. Those things take awhile to prepare for - with getting the pieces cut and prepared. So that should help! I have until January -- I don't think anyone would have trouble finding places to volunteer, so I know it won't be hard!

Wishing FULL TIME paid jobs were as easy to secure! I'm sure I'm not alone in that feeling. So many people are wishing the same thing.

I'll JUST KEEP TRUSTING MY LORD, as I walk along --

I got a bit of distressing news today.

As I went between one job and another, I got a phone call from my afternoon District Manager. She had just learned, and was relaying to me, that approximately 1/3 of my afternoon job was going to be discontinued. This also probably means that 1/3 of my afternoon job paycheck will be discontinued.

The different properties I take care of have different owners and investors and it's their prerogative as to who the management company will be. I think many times these investors have their OWN management companies, under a different corporate umbrella.

This portion of my afternoon job has been looking for a new general partner. My guess is that they found one who has some sort of ties to a different management company.

LIFE RETURNS TO NORMAL ... *sigh*

What is faster than a speeding bullet and more dangerous than a text messaging driver?

It might have been me this morning on the way to work.  I was running SO behind.  I'm not even sure how that happened.  One minute I was doing great and the next minute I was LATE.  I pretended to 'iron' my hair, shoved it around a bit on my head, spritzed some helmet maker (aka super strong hairspray) on it and off I went.

But not before throwing my toothbrush in my purse and grabbing my make-up basket.  As I drove, I was giving myself a beauty make-over from Bare Escentuals!  The rear view mirror was my only witness of the transformation!  I keep a hair-do utensil here at the office, so I plugged it in and attempted to rearrange my helmet after I was here.

THE WEEKEND ENDED and all is well...

I know, I know -- Oh Von, how you go on!  Well, yeah ... I guess! 

But let me tell you something.  Life has a lot of things in it you would rather would not be in it.  Sometimes you wonder if there is ANY good around.  And you wonder 'what next'?  And then God slips in something fun and wonderful as a reminder that HE is in control and gives us blessings all the time.  We have to recognize them.

WE ARE GETTING ALONG VERY WELL!

Bundled as she was last night this little peanut got chilly.  I know because she woke up at 2 a.m.  (she'd gone down a little before 7:30 p.m. so that wasn't too bad).  When I changed her diaper, I discovered that her skin was chilly to the touch.  So I added a nice warm covering to her and she slept nicely until about 6:30 a.m. 

Thinking she was probably up for the morning I brought her downstairs and we sat on the floor and played (I was really groggy still and not ready for getting up*).  I made her a bottle which she drank a bit of and she became really fussy.  I thought my notes from her mommy said this was a smiley time of day and this was NOT a smiley baby I had.  I thought she acted tired still.  I carried her back up to Rhiannon's room and we both layed down on the big bed and snuggled under the warm blanket and she fell back to sleep for another hour (about). 

SIX HOURS and so far ... NOT SO BAD

Hey there! I'm an overnight Gram(me)!! So far (for about 6 hours now) I'm doing great. Baby Girl is off schedule real good. Napped maybe 1 hour instead of two. And her ONE hour was in a couple of short stints.

Gr'pa the escape artist made excuses that he had things to do this afternoon - he couldn't stay here and play with us.  But that is okay.  So far so good! 

FOUR DOGS is going to be the bigger challenge in my book. I had just gotten Jaimee to sleep rocking her. All of a sudden the dogs decided to get up from THEIR naps and romp. Seeing what they had in the works I carefully got up and proceeded to lay her in the other room.