Ground hog day

  The ground hogs think we will have an early spring but I disagree. We have been about a month behind since last fall. I figure that we will have winter until sometime in April. Just been such a mild winter and I've enjoyed it. Having a cold front coming in with a lot of wind is reminding everyone that it is still on the calendar.
  We had a really nice weekend with a visit from my sister and brother in law. He came up to help Tim with work on the tractor. They couldn't find the right part though so we are still broke down. Maybe this weekend.....Then on Sunday our son was able to come by for a nice long visit. A little catch up was great!
  I was able to catch the horses all taking their nap at the same time! Doesn't happen very often that someone doesn't stay "on watch".
 

Here's George and Hannah sharing a crate for their evening nap.

  One of the family's nephews by choice has had a heart attack! He has had a stent put in the completely blocked artery and rooted the other. No damage to heart thank goodness. Good grief, he and his family have been through so much the past few years and now this. I'm sure they will get through this too but it just doesn't seem fair. 

   My great nephew is out of the hospital and has returned to work from a partially collapsed lung! No injury or accident, just spontaneous crap! Life never ceases to amaze me! 

 This is for my sister...she can make her husband crazy when she tells him she has a new idea! haha He just loves her redneck hillbilly ways. She does enjoy teasing him. 

 You all have a diamond day! 

  

Another beautiful day in the Ozarks

  starting out that way. In the mid 40's with the sun shining. Supposed to be in mid 60's this afternoon. Tim is going to finish the new coop this afternoon. Hope so.
  Thursday was a lousy day. Took Hank for the second opinion. Didn't turn out well. Really I can't say that.....it turned out great for Hank. I told him that morning by the end of the day he would feel much better. He crossed the rainbow bridge with Dennis' help that afternoon. The cancer was spreading fast.

He was such a sweet soul. The whole household is missing him. The girls missed him right off. They kept trying to find him when they would come back in the house. So sad. And too raw.....

  Not much else going on around here. Same old stuff. Don't want to bore you all so you have a diamond day and I'll do my best to do the same.
  I miss you Hank.
 

Last day of vacation....

...was Sunday. Tim offered to go for a drive. I took him up on that offer and we decided to make a round trip to Eureka and back. Hadn't done that all year. We used to do it quite often on the bike. Sunday we took the car. Was nice and sunny and about 55*! Pretty nice for mid fall. We dropped a couple of things off at Lee's and headed to Eureka. I was surprised that some of the shops were open. Back in the day you could walk the streets alone and window shop on a Sunday. Guess they had their Black Friday crap too. We kept going instead of stopping. didn't even bother going to the Crescent this time. That place has changed too from what I understand. It was still a wonderful drive . Our next stop was Ann's for a short visit. They were both sick with a virus that drs say can spread like wildfire! Didn't know that at that time. I sure hope we didn't catch it. We served ourselves some drinks so chances are pretty good that we didn't. Although it seems that Tim has caught a cold. Yuck. Poor guy is sneezing a lot.
  Back in the car to continue the short road trip. Only about 100 miles. We skipped Roaring River and stopped by my sister's place for a short visit. Hadn't been there in a month or so. The place is looking good. She was able to have mom Pat for Turkey day. She did well. No trouble taking her back to the home. I'm sure was a very long day for her. For sis too. I did dog nails while I was there. They are such good dogs to work with. All of them.
  Made it home after a stop at Pizza Hut. A salad and personal pan for me and rotini for him. Good stuff. T fed the horses and closed up the chickens etc. I still felt pretty good for a change. Yay for me. Chronic pain for 30 years is still hard to deal with sometimes.
  Have worked a little on my family story. Only 20 some pages so far.

  Here's one of the last photos of James O. 

I'm guessing since the other picture of him was around 1906 and was taken before he went to Oklahoma this was taken between 1906 and 1920. Aunt Jo always said that James O took off to Oklahoma to be with "that woman". Or "a woman" . The story on that end says he was living with his son Charles. How many other stories were left out or misunderstood? The more you hear, the stranger the family is. I guess not really strange. Just more of the same - dysfunctional all through the years . Just not "talking about it" like so many other families. lol 

 Funny, these guys look like brothers or even the same person but this James Samuel Rethford. Our other elusive ancestor. On momma's side. The one that also "ran off" with another woman. He probably did though. lol He deserted Ira's dad as a young boy and I believe started another family over in Wright county. Which is where they started out in Mo....

  Maybe it was just the times... or maybe they shared things like PTSD. They were both in their mid twenties when the war started.  James Samuel ran off just after 1860 while James O was in the 46th Mo Calvary during the war. In his case it was brothers against brother and father! Maybe as he got older he just wanted to be alone. We'll never know. 

  

  See how easily I get distracted? lol 

 It's that time of year! I'll be warm if it's the last thing I do hahahaha.... That wind is sooo cold. 

 Jeanne is still having trouble. Still giving her antibiotics and pain killer. I feel so sorry for her. She is still showing some improvement. Wish it was more. 

All the rest are fat and sassy. We still have hay and enough to last til the end of Jan so will have to get more some time between now and then....not too bad all things considered. 

  I put up a couple of quarts of turkey for later. Sandwiches and turkey and noodles. That's what I made for dinner. A medium pot of turkey and noodles. Was real good. Also baked two loaves of white bread yesterday. Today I'll bake a loaf of rye for Tim. 

 White bread from last year

Rye from last year. 

  Haven't taken pictures of yesterday's bread haha. I could make banana bread but think I will opt for banana pudding instead.  A small one for two. Tim is putting on weight since he quit smoking. I haven't shrunk his pants no matter what he says. haha

  Better get to the laundry...

  Gonna be a diamond day! Hope yours is too! 

   

Doberman day

It's a Doberman day around here. Just because...Misty is so funny. She was just about to sneeze.

 Sheba just wants to have fun!

Hank just likes to stop and smell the flowers along the way. What a sweet soul he is. 

Phoenix was a bright light in our lives the short time he was with us. Heart problems took him from us after only 6 years. He sure loved being on the truck with us. 

Jake: a combination of every one of the special dogs I've had in my life. I can't be sure but he may have been the most special of all. Time will tell. 

  How about a way back picture today? 

Would you look at the size of that stump? I'm sure that's why the picture was taken. It's a wonder they didn't make us climb up there. Would have been fun! 

  Well, things are moving rapidly along. Sis is having surgery in less than a week to take care of her blocked artery. What a blessing they found it before a heart attack or stroke!

Well, it's several hours later and I'm about done in for the day. 

Some days are diamonds! 

Who knew?

  It's pretty dang chilly this a.m./p.m.. Hoping it's the last hoorah. Put a few more house plants out yesterday and several more to go. Want to get the garage cleaned out so we can put a car in it again. Been for the bike for a long time. The truck and van are too big to go in there but I think T's new car will fit just fine as soon as we get the tack out and some junk.
  This "chrome" browser is going to work out just fine I think. I suggested to T last night to try it for his browsing style and it worked much better than IE9. I haven't figured out how to add my yahoo bar and not sure I'll be able to but that's okay - I can still use the IE.

 Wanted to share this picture of Hank rocking himself to sleep.Still having trouble uploading pictures! Dang that makes me mad. I'd rather share pictures than talk. Not in the cards today. Some days are diamonds ....some are stone. Not sure which this one is.