One week home…

One week home…

September 3, 2014 / 2 Comments

It’s hard to believe that I flew home from Montana just one week ago today. Flying into the Des Moines airport last Wednesday, I was struck with the beauty of the patchwork of rolling hills, the enormous farms visible from our descending height and especially with how superbly green everything was. Granted, there are no snow-capped mountains here in Iowa but the Iowa Heartland is beautiful all the same.

It has been a very busy week – filled with a few technicolor Midwest storms, torrential rain and today there was sunshine with cloudless, clear blue skies and a high of 85 degrees.

On Sunday afternoon, we celebrated my granddaughter’s 15th birthday. Her paternal grandparents were there, I was there, her parents and siblings…and about about ten of her friends who wanted to turn the special event into a surprise party!

My assignment was to get my granddaughter out of the house while the friends arrived and the house was decorated. I decided to treat her to several books at one of her favorite stores: Barnes & Noble. Unknown to her, we were on a time schedule and I had to have her back home in time for the surprise. My daughter warned me to let my granddaughter enter first. I did but I still managed to get my share of “silly string” too!

My daughter made a huge pan of her delicious Penne Rustica. I made a gigantic tossed salad and three loaves of french bread. My granddaughter had requested my daughter’s homemade delicious chocolate cake with vanilla icing. Scrumptious!

All in all, it has been a busy week with a lot crammed into it. I love traveling but, for now, I’m glad to be home…

Above: with her younger sister in 2014.

Below: one of my favorite pics of her as a toddler.

Dianne
Valley Junction, Iowa…

August 14, 2014 / 2 Comments

Today was a perfect August afternoon. 84 degrees, blue skies and a few scattered clouds. My friend and neighbor Susan and I ventured over to Valley Junction for the weekly farmer’s market. She had been telling me about the Farmers’ Market for weeks and, today, we finally made it. Early June, I had been to Valley Junction to wander through the antique shops and especially browse through my favorite shop, Sisters, on 5th Street. It had been quiet that day and not too crowded, but today the village was alive with all the activity. For all my Tennessee friends, it rather reminded me of the square in downtown Collierville. Someplace each of you would like to visit!

Each Thursday afternoon, there are over one hundred vendors selling fresh produce, fresh baked goods, unique arts and crafts, plants, flowers and delicious looking prepared foods. Next time, I’d like to try some of the specialty foods. I came home with two large red, ripe tomatoes, a loaf of Asiago Italian Ciabatta by Big Sky Bread Company in Urbandale, Iowa and a large container of very fresh green beans! All reasonably priced too.

Had we stayed later, we would have been there for the live music and I’m sure I would have loved that as well. There was a young woman singing in one of the store doorways. At first, I thought they were playing a CD by one of my favorite artists, Norah Jones! She had a lovely voice.

All in all, a very enjoyable August afternoon…

Loved the hand carved birds below by Whirlythings!

My favorite shop is Sisters! Hmm…I see a cowgirl hat I like!

And lots of other things as well…

Below: Sisters also has a wonderful selection of bedding, laces, baby things and so much more!

Spotted this old fashioned washer in the window of one of the antique shops.

Reminded me of one Mama had many, many years ago.

Below: A few more random pics from the Farmers’ Market this afternoon…

Will definitely be headed back and enjoying the selections and the music!

Dianne
Summer porch days…

June 16, 2014 / 3 Comments

I was awake early this morning. With the temp in the low 60’s, I enjoyed my coffee and the sound of songbirds on the porch. On cooler afternoons, the porch is the scene for enjoying bowls of ice cream and playing a game with the grandchildren. Right now, it is overcast with a temp in the 80’s and the porch is the place for drying my clothes on a folding rack (my dryer is broken but the repairman is due here tomorrow).

I love the ferns. They remind me of walks on the mountainside in Oregon where the ferns grew wild and plentiful. The fuchsia plant sits on a $5 red garage sale table. It’s a thirsty plant! What would a porch garden be without herbs and petunias? The only problem with the herbs (sage, sweet basil, rosemary and spearmint) is they’re challenged to get enough sun on this covered porch. We’ll see how they do. Hopefully, I will get enough to be able to cook with them occasionally.

My next-door-neighbor was discarding the white rocker and asked me if I would like to have it. I was delighted. It needs a fresh coat of paint and a cushion in the soft sage green. I saw one at Lowe’s the other day – just need to go buy it. The settee, blue chair and green chair all came from Lowe’s. The outdoor rug was a good buy at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I think I paid about $37 for it and it’s one of the larger sizes. My daughter found the cute Dragonfly table for me at Walmart. It was one of my Mother’s Day presents this year and I love it!

If it stays overcast and cools down a little this afternoon, I think I will curl up on the wicker settee and continue reading the third in a wonderful series entitled Alaskan Courage by Dani Pettrey, a great new author.

How are things on your summer porch?

Sorry the pics take so long to load!

I’m working with a new camera & photo software

and it’s not too user friendly!

Dianne
Happy Thanksgiving!

November 26, 2013 / 4 Comments

I received this precious Thanksgiving greeting card years ago from my firstborn’s firstborn. It traveled all the way from Peru where my son was a missionary doctor. He and his family lived and worked among the Quechua Indians for almost seven years. They are back in the states now, thankfully for this grandmother. The photo above was taken in the Sacsayhuaman ruins in Cusco, Peru, when I visited them.

I will spend ten hours tomorrow in a mini-van with my daughter and her family…seven of us…PLUS Kiana, the Hungarian Vizla! We are traveling to Kentucky where I will spend a wonderful week with my son and his precious family. My daughter and her family will travel an hour farther to spend Thanksgiving with my son-in-law’s family. I can’t wait to see them all! There is a pan full of “party mix” in the oven for the road trip and I’ve been stirring it every 15 minutes. It smells delicious! Why does riding in a car for so long make you hungry?! 😉 I have so much I’d like to do with my three beautiful granddaughters in Kentucky. We’ll have to work hard to get it all done in a week!

On December 4, I will fly from Kentucky to Dallas for ten sweet days with my youngest and his family. With a two year old granddaughter and a three-month-old granddaughter, I will be in grandmother-heaven! I was visiting with my two year old granddaughter the other day on Skype and mentioned that I couldn’t wait to play with her. She promptly picked up her Dad’s iPad and carried me into the playroom with her…setting “me” down in the little chair beside her! I was playing with her! I loved it…

Wishing each of you a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving with your family and friends. May you have safe travels and make wonderful memories that will last a lifetime…

Dianne
Autumn days…

October 24, 2013 / 10 Comments

The weather has turned cool here at last. The trees are finally wearing their Autumn shades of gold, crimson, deep ruby and russet orange. It is time to drag out the sweaters and place a warmer blanket on the bed. My favorite time of year, Autumn makes me happy. It brings back memories of harvest festivals of years gone by…apple picking…apple dumplings…homemade apple pies.

My daughter purchased two bushels of apples, and tomorrow I will help her turn those apples into delicious apple butter! Years ago, when we lived in Indiana, my sisters and my niece Sharon came for a visit. We traveled to Nashville, Brown County, Indiana. It’s a wonderful little town with quaint shops, resident artists and wonderful food. There, at the Nashville House Dining Room in the historic Brown County Inn, I had some of the best oven baked apple butter I have ever tasted. I came home and tried to duplicate it and actually came close. Now, years later, they actually share the recipe here!

Tonight, I will go with my daughter and her family to “The Great Pumpkin Party” at church…just as we did last year. The large church is equipped all over (indoors) with all sorts of fun events for children – including different “jumping” houses and games. There are also pony rides outside. They love it and it is so much fun!

My thanks to those of you who’ve stuck with me through this “postless” last month. Excuses? I’ve been traveling and spending time with precious grandchildren – both near and far. These days, I am also traveling back in time as I spend hours working, once again, on my family history. Yesterday, I found myself missing Dot, my late oldest sister and the one who dreamed of being able to trace our ancestors as far back as possible. We were actually “stuck” on Mama’s maternal grandmother, Mary Frances Cooper. I wrote for her death certicate. Fifteen years ago – that was how you had to do it. There were a few clues but also the wrong first initial of her father. The information about her was being given over the telephones of yesteryear. Her father’s first name was Vincent. My Dad was listed as the informant and gave the individual asking for the information the letter “V”. Over the phone, “V” can sound like “B” and that’s what they wrote down! In the old days, they used a lot of initials for first names and that can throw a curve.

Yesterday, I finally traced Mary Frances Cooper’s family all the way back to her immigrant ancestor and my 6th great-grandfather, William Cooper, who was born in 1669 in Warwickshire, England! He immigrated to America and arrived in Virginia with his wife Elizabeth Lawrence in 1718! The find was so bittersweet…for I wanted to share it with Dot. I hope she knows. There are more branches of this family tree to complete now.

I’m rather surprised to say that THIS is my one-hundredth post! I’m looking forward to sharing more of my Sweet Journey Home and I thank you for following along with me…

Dianne
Blue skies & a perfect Summer day…

June 28, 2013 / 6 Comments

If you could paint a picture of the perfect Summer day, today would have been it. 82 degrees. Blue skies – the absolutely perfect shade of blue. Snow white cotton clouds scattered here and about across the blue. Bright sunshine. Vivid green trees and grass. A constant breeze. It was going to be a fun day and I was up at 6:30 a.m. looking forward to it.

I met my daughter and her four children (ages 15 – 4) at the YMCA at 9:00 a.m. They had been there since before 7:00 a.m. for my grandchildren who swim competitively to practice for two hours. They do this each weekday morning. They all get up at the crack of dawn! I got into my daughter’s van and we headed to a small nearby town where she has “rented” a 40′ x 40′ garden space from a nursery there.

I know I have mentioned my daughter’s drive and energy in previous posts, but sometimes I am amazed. She takes care of their large (5 bedroom – 5 bathroom) home, does laundry for their family of six, cooks totally from scratch and mostly organic (think even grinding her own flour), homeschools my grandchildren (although they have taken a few classes at the local school), maintains large flower beds all around their home, puts up homemade jams, takes care of a garden in their backyard which includes vegetables, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries AND now has a large garden space she is renting out from a nursery! She hopes to “feed their family for a year” with all the produce. She has purchased organic beef and pork for their freezer as well. (I remember my Mama commenting on my energy when I was about my daughter’s age. I confess it isn’t there anymore!)

My daughter had spent a few days over the last couple of weeks getting the garden in shape and it looks great! Some of the surrounding plots belonging to others – not so much! Today, she harvested some tender ripe squash and fresh spinach to go along with their dinner tonight.

Roses in my daughter’s flower beds…

Flowers in the front yard…just barely past their prime.

Raspberries in the backyard…

Above and below: at the 40′ x 40′ garden plot.

All the plants were thriving and looked very healthy.

Part of it is that my daughter grew all of these plants from

HEIRLOOM seeds in the basement under grow lights!

Part of it is this rich Midwest soil.

Below: Come Autumn, there will be PUMPKINS!

Afterwards, we drove around the small town and dropped by a few garage sales. My 4 year old grandson scored his first bike – a bright blue and lime green bicycle that looked new for $10! Then we stopped by the local Fareway grocery where my daughter picked up her order of organic milk. She buys something like 18 half-gallons at the time and they give her a great price! They drink a lot of milk. We stopped by the YMCA for me to pick up my car and then I met them at their house for a pizza lunch.

Last stop before heading home – and by that time I was tired – was the library to pick up the books that I had on hold there. All in all, it was the perfect Summer morning…complete with blue skies.

Dianne