Love Those Quiet Sundays

Well, we had five of the grands here yesterday to 

decorate little trees for their bedrooms for the holidays. 

Papa 'Oder, Jace's name for Keith, held a very interested Hayden. 

While mother Amber helped two year old Carson choose his decorations. 

 Paiton, Jace and Jax all worked on their own trees. 

Brynn and Hailey were unable to come, as they were sick.  We missed them. 

We had potato soup (well, the adults did), cookies and chocolate milk, and an 

hour flew by. 

Church has changed to 4 PM for the winter, so coming home it is almost dark. 

The little pond filled a bit after the rain this week... it was very, very low. 

The dogs and I took the long way around today to go to the park for a walk. 

It was about 48 degrees as we drove, and the farm animals were loving it. 

Hawks were everywhere, but out of my camera range, mostly. 

That was a big 'un, and the colors on him are beautiful. 

The big ditch has filled up again, but I still don't see any traveling birds in it. 

The squirrels at the City Park in Basehor are busy filling their storerooms; they must know we have 

bad weather coming at the end of the week. 

Let's all have a peaceful Thanksgiving Week! 

Christmas Mansion Tour Part Two

A bench on either side of the door greeted me at the Bingham-Waggoner house in 

Independence, Missouri, the Queen City of the Trails, as it is called. 

I love how the benches were decorated this year.  I could not stop at the bottom of the stairs to take a picture, as it was raining.  I had the camera safely protected. 

The theme this year was "All Wrapped Up". 

A vignette from one of the two front parlors of the house... this one was used as an 

office by the Waggoners.  

The painter George Caleb Bingham owned this house before the Waggoners, at the time of the Civil War. 

The front hallway, the two parlors are to the left... the stairs lead to the second and third floors... and that's the dining room to the right... and the east entrance of the house. 

That's the original wood-burning stove in the kitchen... the Waggoner's cook and her daughter 

inherited this beautiful house after the last Waggoner son died.  They subsequently sold it 

to the Historical Society, thank heavens, so we can all enjoy it. 

The butler's pantry just outside of the kitchen. 

The dining room was awash in a sea of red and gold. 

The table is massive. 

There are 8 bedrooms on the second floor, and this, the Bingham room, was one of the 

originals, built when the house was orignally constructed.  The Waggoners added onto it. 

I loved the simple tartan theme. 

It is set up right now as an office.  

Those are Bingham lithos on the walls and over the fireplace.  

That looks like "Order Number 11" on the wall, that incited this area of 

Missouri to riot during the war. 

Next bedroom over, a man's bedroom... you see the frieze on the wall... there is a different one in 

each bedroom. 

This bedroom is set up as a nursery. 

I was told by a tour guide a long, long time ago that the last Waggoner son, (I believe Harry) used 

this small bedroom, because he could let his dogs out on the balcony through this door. 

A detail of a frieze.  

One of the bedrooms is used as an office, and I have been privileged to see that bedroom in it's un-restored state... the paint rather faded but the frieze still in great shape. 

Looking down the hallway from north to south... see the clothes press in the wall?  On the 

left you can also see the call box, for the owners to call downstairs to the kitchen or housekeeper as they needed.  The restored frieze goes clear around the house in the hallways. 

This is one of the servants rooms on the third floor.  The person using this room had a reading niche there in the window... and a dresser just out of sight to the right. 

There were four servant's rooms on this floor, and a capacious bathroom for them to use, 

as well as a large day room, that is set up for hot chocolate and cookies during the Christmas season. 

I think those who worked in the Waggoner's household were probably pretty happy with their jobs.  

I enjoyed my trip back through time to Christmas past... but I think I am going to skip next year's visit... and go in a couple of years.  It's a long, tiring drive for me... 

and I'd like for Keith to see the houses, too. 

I was able to see my son Jeff for a bit after I finished, and take him home from work.  It was nice to visit and catch up with him, and we'll be seeing him again at Christmas time in a few weeks.  He has lived in Independence for many years,but does not drive and does not have a phone. 

Who doesn't have a phone?????  

I accept it, though, for what it is!  

It was a good day, but I am still tuckered out from this cold, I admit it.  

Still trying to finish our decorating here, as well!  

How are you all coming along? 

Let The Christmas Shopping Begin

Well, actually, it began four months ago. 

But I did do some more at the first of the holiday craft shows today. 

This is the larger of the two, the Alpha Delta Kappa show at 

Basehor-Linwood High School, in Basehor, Kansas. 

My sister and I used to go to this one.  It did not have as many 

vendors this year, but I bought more, if that makes sense. 

This lady always has a wonderful booth. See those two little decorated trees?  They are 

in buckets, which she has painted.  I could do this!  In fact, for next year by 

the front door, I think I WILL do this.  They were also reasonably priced at 35.00. 

This one was also in her booth, and it sold while I was looking at it.  

I don't do white trees, but this one IS pretty. 

Crafters set up in the gym, the lunchroom, and the entrance hallway.  I do not need 

any more wreaths, but I wish I would have looked at the garland you can see here under the arch. 

These folks always have wonderful things in their booth.. and this door 

had already sold.  I love it. 

This lady, Kim Overbey from Parson Prairie Farm,  was spinning her 

own alpaca wool. 

These were some of the things they had for sale.  If my sister were still alive, 

I would have bought some for her to use. 

Another booth had all kinds of goat milk soaps and other things for sale. 

This man was a new vendor this year, he is  Glenn Garrison, and 

does wonderful artwork of native birds and animals.   I bought some 

cards from him.  

He also had clever tote bags and tee shirts with his artwork on them. 

The Basehor Linwood School mascot is a Bobcat.  This one is on display in a booth in the main hall. 

This picture makes it look huge... it is only a little larger than a house cat... and yes, 

I felt so sorry for it ending up in a display window. 

I went to the much smaller Holy Angels parish craft sale, always held on the same days.

I think there were fewer vendors at both, and also, fewer buyers.  

I was able to buy two wonderful sweatshirts for Christmas gifts at very 

reasonable prices from a lady I call "The Sweatshirt Lady"... and 

some more beautiful handmade cards to send to a few 

people at Thanksgiving.  

I am down to about six gifts I still need for Christmas, so doing 

pretty well in that respect. 

Keith is feeling much better after his first week of dialysis, 

I can hear him working in the basement below me, in fact. 

He feels better than he has in months. 

We will get into the swing of the three days a week of early mornings, 

and I am just so grateful to have him back in some semblance of good health. 

We had 8 trick or treaters last night... 

how about you? 

A Short Post

It's July 18, I think. 

Now, I can understand how the fall decorations are out already at Hobby Lobby, seen when 

I went out to get new pulls for our desk this afternoon. 

But, wow....

I asked last year why Christmas was put out so very early... and 

was told that "crafters" had to have access to it early for the 

Christmas craft shows. 

I know that by Christmas, I'm sick of seeing the decorations in stores 

for five months.  

Do I sound too old when I say that it was so 

pleasureable to anticipate Christmas decorations to 

magically appear after Thankgsiving in the old days? 

How hard some retail people must have worked to make all that 

magic happen in so short a time!  

I didn't paint today... 

we're pushing tomorrow.  Keith ran into wasps today, 

so we have to do something about it.  I wonder how I avoided them 

last Friday, working where the nest was last year? 

We'll have lots of pictures for tomorrow night. 

Everyone have a great weekend! 

The Here, There, and Everywhere Post

I have a lot of little things to talk about today, and 

the first is kind of a big thing. 

One of my favorite bloggers and a good person is leaving the blogging world. 

Our friend, Deweena Callis, of "Across the Way" on our sidewall down below, is 

going to stop her blog.  She has only been blogging for a year, but I can 

tell you she is a beaut.  She found it was taking up much precious time, and has decided to stop. 

Deweena will be a loss to the blogging world. 

Deweena is not the only one to leave... some others I used to follow 

regularly have stopped, because folks, life and circumstances change, and 

that's all there is to say about that.  I just know that I'll miss Deweena's wonderful posts. 

I'll leave her last post up on our sidebar for a few days, in case you want to read it.  I thank her for reading us so faithfully for the last year. (The link above will take you to it). 

After talking about how I was going to leave everything up until Epiphany, I have undressed the Christmas trees and have taken about half of the things outside to move to the storage sheds.  In a few weeks, Chris will come up to help me rearrange things out there, and we will store everything where it is easily found next year. I am leaving our Nativity scene up until Epiphany. 

Look what I'm doing:

Chris will be so proud of his old Gran. 

I am marking EVERYTHING this year. 

On the top and on the side, so we can SEE WHAT WE ARE DOING. 

Quite the organizer! 

Of course, there is a mess in the living room right now. 

And a mess on the porch, which stretches out by the sheds... because I have things stacked out there, too. 

Lilly Ann, by the way, would absolutely blow a gasket to know that there are CHICKENS ON HER DECK.  I let the henspa flock out to get some exercise.  Mysteriously, it has gone up to 30 degrees, so I am going to go out shortly and hitch up the cart and move some of those boxes the easy way across to the storage sheds.  The goats are in the pasture getting some exercise, and away from where they can get in my way. 

Here was the start of our soup for tonight's dinner.  I added orzo and small pieces of chicken. 

We're having corn muffins with it.  Simple and filling and good. 

And I made some celery sticks filled with pimento cheese for Keith to snack on, as we are trying to get away from the Christmas candy. 

I wanted a goat ornament for the tree this year, because we have goats now. 

I found one in the unlikeliest of places... at the Vaile Mansion gift shop.  I got a goat, a rabbit and a deer, all like this little one.  They were each 3.00, and I was glad to get them, as there were only the three. 

I never saw another goat ornament the whole season.  

Last night on PBS was a holiday special for "Call the Midwife", a series I dearly loved. 

While watching it, I looked down at the afghan covering my lap. 

This is it... is it not beautifully made?  I paid 3.00 for this one and for a plain 

brown one at an estate sale this year.  They were beautifully and probably lovingly made by someone in the past, and I am blessed to have them. 

I'll tell you something else I am blessed for... as I sat at the kitchen table this morning 

writing the checks for the few bills I pay around here... I began to decide to which charities to send 

money this month... I have a few that I try to get several times a year... and a new one or two. 

I realized while writing the small checks to them that I am able to do this because of Keith's kindness to me. 

It is Keith who carries the financial burden here, and always has.  Yes, I helped while working... and I have used my 40lK money to do some of the improvements... but Keith is the one who carries the load, and because of his largesse, I am able to help others.  God bless him. 

I have also spent some time with these favorites this morning.  

I was sorely disappointed with my "heirloom" tomatoes last year, and the touted 

SuperSauce.  I am going to be much pickier with what I order, because I hope to start seeds indoors again. 

I am looking at flower seeds, too. 

I do have some Baker Creek lettuce left over, and some other odds and ends, but am 

in no hurry to get everything out... yet. 

One other thing, in this eclectic post... I realized after "speaking" with 

Deweena that I have changed in my blogging habits, too. 

For several years, I sat down at the computer for several hours a day, reading blog after blog. 

I don't do that anymore.  It seems I have enough to do without sitting in front of the computer for hours on end, and Abby lets me know by barking when I have sat too long.  I rarely am on Pinterest any more, either... because I realized that once pinned, I was not going back to really LOOK at things.  Yes, I still pin... but I am more judicious in what I am pinning.  Things change, don't they?