tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81480692444909602912024-03-13T05:03:52.484-05:00Prairie MotherPrairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.comBlogger1090125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-9335302415284727292018-07-06T14:45:00.000-05:002018-07-06T14:45:04.757-05:00Thank God for Family<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeLHAyEt_mKi4cKTcTdnnUG3t_YZ6yl267lFIUlZydXpxZx8cG9Ph9CjCaTeT9dLKwAWt3lLSB_9_tjyOvJylrGuumxNgNBdB0fTPt-H_rDRKtzsrwNP5i0-Jpp40lel2xj5XVYO0gNU/s1600/IMG_20180706_143323_hdr_kindlephoto-17361134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXeLHAyEt_mKi4cKTcTdnnUG3t_YZ6yl267lFIUlZydXpxZx8cG9Ph9CjCaTeT9dLKwAWt3lLSB_9_tjyOvJylrGuumxNgNBdB0fTPt-H_rDRKtzsrwNP5i0-Jpp40lel2xj5XVYO0gNU/s320/IMG_20180706_143323_hdr_kindlephoto-17361134.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
See that lady up there? This special gal is my grandmother (my kids great grandmother) and she has been a lifesaver to me in the last 9 months. I've had two hip surgeries and each time she traveled from Indiana to Kansas to help out my family. She's cooked and cleaned and pretty much done everything I can't do because of being on crutches. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I've often been depressed and angry over my situation in the last year but in hindsight it's been an enormous blessing that she's been here. Not only that she's taken care of us but she's spent so much time with my kids. A special bond has especially developed between Grandma and Yahoo. They've really enjoyed reading and playing games together. I think being off my feet for a few months has been worth it just to have Grandma here with us.<br /><br />Thank God for family. </div>
Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-81467454459210203972018-07-01T19:32:00.002-05:002018-07-01T19:32:51.136-05:003 Years. <br />
3 Years.....<br />
<br />
I can hardly believe that 3 years have passed since I've last written in this blog. I never meant for 3 years to pass by but such is life I suppose.<br />
<br />
In case you don't remember 3 years ago my family and I moved from a tiny town in Southwest Kansas to just slightly south of Kansas City. It's definitely been a culture shock in terms of geography, population and culture. Culture shock is definitely a term that I can identify with. I feel like my life has been completely turned upside down within the last 3 years.<br />
<br />
The first year (2015) in this area was a year of learning of course. Learning about Kansas City and living in a town of 'city folk' rather than 'farm folk'. Learning about a school that was 3 times the size we came from. Learning our place in this new community. it was tough and uncomfortable but at the end of that year I was feeling comfortable and confident in our new home.<br />
<br />
The second year was tougher. I had decided to train for a marathon and had been running hard and long for a good 4 months. For 20 years running has been a large part of how I identified myself as a human being. But in the spring of 2016 my body felt....off. I didn't feel good, I was getting tired easily and my back was sore. I stopped running. This off feeling went on for months until September when my entire body hurt enough to send me to the ER. Xrays and MRI's showed nothing so I started physical therapy for back pain. So I rested and exercised and limped around.<br />
<br />
Into 2017 I was still doing physical therapy but I still had pain. Finally I had a fellow church member who also happened to be a chiropractor who offered his help. Come to find out I had torn cartilage in my hip but was presenting through back pain. So just a few days before Halloween I had hip surgery. A month in a brace and six weeks in crutches and months more of physical therapy.<br /><br />Now here I am in the middle of 2018 and a week after a 2nd hip surgery to repair the same damage on the other side. At the moment I'm facing 3 more weeks in a brace, 5 more weeks on crutches and who knows what else is in store in my future.<br /><br />I've come to the realization finally that I'll never run again. And that my friends is incredibly disheartening. It was my stress relief. It was 'my time'. I've gone through incredible highs and depressing lows in the last two years. I've gone through times of great hope and times when I was certain I'd never walk again. I've gone days in bed doing nothing but crying and days when I was certain I was so close to being 'back to normal'.<br /><br />Life for the last two years has been my marathon. The hardest obstacle I've ever had to overcome. Today I'm at a point where I have hope. I have hope that I'll walk without pain. I have hope that I'll be able to lie an active lifestyle again.<br />
<br />
H.O.P.E. - Hang On. Pain Ends.Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-20235349541419563632015-07-06T16:56:00.002-05:002015-07-06T16:59:38.862-05:00Little Red Library<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Across the street from
our house there is a beautiful little lake </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">with a walking path all
the way around it. About a mile and a quarter. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There are always people
walking the path or fishing or biking.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_peQBAOBFqeWoOK66WX_WGyEq50iyGOJZ41COnoxmZJ8TYwnyC-ReLi8fwiSzO_OXcpOI-k3PdQ0azj6cgjVnjCk8YhMb5wBEC0qOqlHTgBdw47YnuKin6N9SwDYGmzChRcMkUb4oQc/s640/blogger-image-488161597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2_peQBAOBFqeWoOK66WX_WGyEq50iyGOJZ41COnoxmZJ8TYwnyC-ReLi8fwiSzO_OXcpOI-k3PdQ0azj6cgjVnjCk8YhMb5wBEC0qOqlHTgBdw47YnuKin6N9SwDYGmzChRcMkUb4oQc/s640/blogger-image-488161597.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But one of our favorite feature of the lake is
the little red library. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is sponsored by our local library.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qXVlJRcgKbce4oBAU3dCRZiJDxAVFCdfmGLZtM0ilkljrJwLqIoQRyr4qXVI8wm8jm3jwQ-aCaGJSzkABQuIdWcDbBCQ7JFfVklb4uxr81FAV5Bp2kp8Yo3MAXQlBUcwtCCUwlYUgD4/s640/blogger-image-1019090988.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qXVlJRcgKbce4oBAU3dCRZiJDxAVFCdfmGLZtM0ilkljrJwLqIoQRyr4qXVI8wm8jm3jwQ-aCaGJSzkABQuIdWcDbBCQ7JFfVklb4uxr81FAV5Bp2kp8Yo3MAXQlBUcwtCCUwlYUgD4/s640/blogger-image-1019090988.jpg"></a></div><br></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The books are all free inside for anyone to
take. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The only guideline is if you take a book then
please leave a book. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The kids and I are always digging through our
bookshelves for books</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">to leave In hopes of finding a treasure to
bring home with us. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxltDSb3nL5a9RlqCXVBGbKeGit1PmciPTYMYiJ6SEpmYsFetNI7Z6iRMAbGHLCDHqeX6PcnQskbFmHYIKRGVNNk_WAZUqshfVADf0tsRWekOHi5xEaC6qvns5sPzQ5qnQkfdVgpg_wXI/s640/blogger-image--1981408270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxltDSb3nL5a9RlqCXVBGbKeGit1PmciPTYMYiJ6SEpmYsFetNI7Z6iRMAbGHLCDHqeX6PcnQskbFmHYIKRGVNNk_WAZUqshfVADf0tsRWekOHi5xEaC6qvns5sPzQ5qnQkfdVgpg_wXI/s640/blogger-image--1981408270.jpg"></a></div><br></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jackpot! We can't resist a good Eric
Carle. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5JMH4sCTrQrIkonua1dlJ8nOG4dv7ddzeH4r5Kg6rDwH0Lf8PgLMYaU07ZHe4jyh0fmL_hC0U5QSSQW3e-sTq_8Hju_nivrQPvwMCsSlh53pRn7FrCJrwZ0z6CglcRzkqQarwTspXXE/s640/blogger-image--530229940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5JMH4sCTrQrIkonua1dlJ8nOG4dv7ddzeH4r5Kg6rDwH0Lf8PgLMYaU07ZHe4jyh0fmL_hC0U5QSSQW3e-sTq_8Hju_nivrQPvwMCsSlh53pRn7FrCJrwZ0z6CglcRzkqQarwTspXXE/s640/blogger-image--530229940.jpg"></a></div></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I love this concept of a free little library
and feel so lucky </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">that we have one within walking distance of
our house. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It was put in shortly after we moved
here. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And we noticed that it took a little bit of
time for people </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">to understand the concept. We use the walking
path around </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">the lake all the time so we had plenty of
opportunity to pass by. </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the beginning it would start off full
of books one day </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and be completely empty the next. But as
time has gone by </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">people are starting to understand it. It's
constantly full of books now.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Some books stay in the little red
library longer than others while </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">other books are snatched up fairly quickly.</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Does anyone else live net one of these? </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How does it work in your neighborhood? </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-20384051036078378872015-06-23T15:42:00.003-05:002015-06-23T15:42:46.564-05:00Chalkboard FIX!! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last blogged. I always thought that once we moved I'd have more free time on my hands to blog. Amazing though how three kids and their activities plus mine eat up the hours of my day. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One thing I did get accomplished was taking care of the "Red Square"! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ha ha!! When DR looked at our house there wasn't anyone living here but there was still a little furniture left. Of course, nothing looked out of place until we moved into an empty house and their was a red rectangle in the middle of the dining room!! I WAS NOT ready to paint an entire room and I knew matching the color was iffy. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpdtTvvP-oXHJ3b2YGbYuZg4ivJSOkLB_58Txpbn2kOwBH5LUvFZT30X8UklJL-2OZe_wR1gm-h2_SsIUd9Uc4oz4PGRCPfH9W0dATlQEnbAfW2rBVRhxyGXFCBpwZTVhJMwaXijW_FI/s640/blogger-image-1041966326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpdtTvvP-oXHJ3b2YGbYuZg4ivJSOkLB_58Txpbn2kOwBH5LUvFZT30X8UklJL-2OZe_wR1gm-h2_SsIUd9Uc4oz4PGRCPfH9W0dATlQEnbAfW2rBVRhxyGXFCBpwZTVhJMwaXijW_FI/s400/blogger-image-1041966326.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So the RED SQUARE sat for quite a while as I thought of an alternative. I hung our family portrait there, obviously not as a fix, but thinking maybe we needed a giant canvas to cover it. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But then our friend JESS stopped by for a quick visit and suggested a chalkboard. YES!! Perfect idea!! I found some small bottles of chalkboard paint, maybe only 8 oz, at Hobby Lobby that worked perfectly. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumee_ihI7CpmEscIBiCjYzhZjlP2VHiOHixt4S2-5EqqwcTZfE8vBCx0Cx2Pmo04e9ZVPQai8evFwxFwYP-9G415_0FQxoGVHkO-_CQGEganTfgY5BVsji5QYIWuKYlplCSOveqxDzjI/s640/blogger-image-1717911196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumee_ihI7CpmEscIBiCjYzhZjlP2VHiOHixt4S2-5EqqwcTZfE8vBCx0Cx2Pmo04e9ZVPQai8evFwxFwYP-9G415_0FQxoGVHkO-_CQGEganTfgY5BVsji5QYIWuKYlplCSOveqxDzjI/s400/blogger-image-1717911196.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's mighty handy sending birthday messages to friends!! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtLlsPqeQMkev_vZI-gLj-5NOx5_tioHWQ4Z4XecCeMIn0aB6bYLROdJ0I8VdmgrjjIw9LowJXySkjKY4EH3oezHc5l9YTwmuGADj-OYSKV44prwNk9GR58z8Dk_Lusvzb_wLt0dgsAQ/s640/blogger-image-1063432385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtLlsPqeQMkev_vZI-gLj-5NOx5_tioHWQ4Z4XecCeMIn0aB6bYLROdJ0I8VdmgrjjIw9LowJXySkjKY4EH3oezHc5l9YTwmuGADj-OYSKV44prwNk9GR58z8Dk_Lusvzb_wLt0dgsAQ/s400/blogger-image-1063432385.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(BTW....when did Yip start looking so grown up???)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvRrmixkb_2JHZgEp35a5A_KW5u3w2-CViEngHTdXLCtEVkHRPILEVHLcVGrZr3PmpcXru9w92EG6zpUHWN49Jd9w95V81l8JMHjIzRQNZVNBGdC5PwshRT1bB5FUZIxyE2-c-a-FGAc/s640/blogger-image-1938590120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvRrmixkb_2JHZgEp35a5A_KW5u3w2-CViEngHTdXLCtEVkHRPILEVHLcVGrZr3PmpcXru9w92EG6zpUHWN49Jd9w95V81l8JMHjIzRQNZVNBGdC5PwshRT1bB5FUZIxyE2-c-a-FGAc/s400/blogger-image-1938590120.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The trim was just some scrap wood with some leftover stain which makes a perfect chalk tray! We use it all the time for logging summer reading time, and leaving notes for one another. The little kids in the neighborhood love to draw on it! What a fun fix that turned out to be...so much better than painting an entire room! Thanks for the idea Jess! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-6700120502270872482015-05-30T11:16:00.001-05:002015-05-30T11:16:52.120-05:00Rainy Days and Broken Crayons<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We've been in our new home just about three weeks and it's rained every day except one. We've had a few days in a row recently where it's rained all day and was cold. I was hearing the dreaded "B" word way too often. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Mom, I'm Bored!" </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The kids still had their school supplies in their backpacks. We hadn't unpacked them in the move. It was just low on my to do list but we dug through them and found all the broken crayons that accumulate through a school year. We had tons of crayons between three kids. I'll kind of be happy when Yip and Yap hit middle school and they won't need crayons anymore. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway we peeled and broke up some of them, we still have lots more, and sorted them by color in a muffin tin I found at a garage sale. I popped it into a 200 degree oven for a few minutes. It didn't take long, maybe five minutes, to melt them all. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVgoO899DynsT2-2EutyJUo5JVESFv64Dz-KlNm-h_DYSVVoke4aKs7NXcZsIIa9dl4lZnCj9X72eP2ZMCFsouedmeFBG0PJNvmySWmb2SWSFMBe7N6U_7SCPcLN1G3mjRgb0DnvFfqU/s640/blogger-image--112626460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVgoO899DynsT2-2EutyJUo5JVESFv64Dz-KlNm-h_DYSVVoke4aKs7NXcZsIIa9dl4lZnCj9X72eP2ZMCFsouedmeFBG0PJNvmySWmb2SWSFMBe7N6U_7SCPcLN1G3mjRgb0DnvFfqU/s320/blogger-image--112626460.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had tons of old brushes that I let the kids use to paint with the melted wax. A few boxes out of the recycling bin worked perfectly! Yahoo enjoyed following the circle imprints from a box that held soup cans. It looks very <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Kandinsky+circles&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=653&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=uOFpVZqaFImcyQS82YDYAQ&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ">Kandinsky</a> like doesn't it? </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzvE_PQkbPpQq40_zkPdj8HfOmrFrAe_sAVRgW6g4VB0RzCIIM96CXul1_treZkoe4WsbpIU2zALOLKKk9uYuccUDvuFJaw4SPwRL1g0QL5bCXXc5fEVSasc_o2XaKG0yvG-Vj3EfHUk/s640/blogger-image--490181100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzvE_PQkbPpQq40_zkPdj8HfOmrFrAe_sAVRgW6g4VB0RzCIIM96CXul1_treZkoe4WsbpIU2zALOLKKk9uYuccUDvuFJaw4SPwRL1g0QL5bCXXc5fEVSasc_o2XaKG0yvG-Vj3EfHUk/s320/blogger-image--490181100.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpi58oDlu0vu5SkxJazWoBQl5IYGSHy55FLifmMh5-9lM1DJcV5tEinN5cNnvc7co7TKByvDr4_EnNytoSvpZjZaKoCBLBg1uijeN8fDKGXYwU6m-_cyxLUFs8Ng0KciQGWy0WSGHs60/s640/blogger-image--1079332815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpi58oDlu0vu5SkxJazWoBQl5IYGSHy55FLifmMh5-9lM1DJcV5tEinN5cNnvc7co7TKByvDr4_EnNytoSvpZjZaKoCBLBg1uijeN8fDKGXYwU6m-_cyxLUFs8Ng0KciQGWy0WSGHs60/s320/blogger-image--1079332815.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I just love the texture that Yahoo came up with!! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GOFWXwnzYjeVsf-oBkRPTxccATRFmQ-0Mh2wjwnQzXcLr4EHK4wmQDDrmXjch8E3timnnuLfmUQGzJgfOt6cpq0LEg0VjOePCEt5svQDHlqqzmDuD1jllZqHyEEx8wyB2eyKBnuOyYY/s640/blogger-image--69096915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GOFWXwnzYjeVsf-oBkRPTxccATRFmQ-0Mh2wjwnQzXcLr4EHK4wmQDDrmXjch8E3timnnuLfmUQGzJgfOt6cpq0LEg0VjOePCEt5svQDHlqqzmDuD1jllZqHyEEx8wyB2eyKBnuOyYY/s320/blogger-image--69096915.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We did have to remelt the wax a couple of times but it remelted fairly quickly. And it kept Yahoo busy at least for about an hour!! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwr3FzOGYTR49h76FOikQinTvhY7MUNSgAYCS1EH9Y8sI-efZCUiEqqVLn6TrhSsFPDFlDlgxxT7kfyKJ7K6QjJC4i_rkA9iJxG_RlzRchuEmG7-CJj0qXw5UPwrPac9dq32htGV0Fts8/s640/blogger-image--1245355421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwr3FzOGYTR49h76FOikQinTvhY7MUNSgAYCS1EH9Y8sI-efZCUiEqqVLn6TrhSsFPDFlDlgxxT7kfyKJ7K6QjJC4i_rkA9iJxG_RlzRchuEmG7-CJj0qXw5UPwrPac9dq32htGV0Fts8/s320/blogger-image--1245355421.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I looked at the weather forecast for this week and it doesn't look like the rain is going away any time soon so I better start looking for some new indoor ideas! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-33760613671102735922015-05-15T14:36:00.002-05:002015-05-15T14:36:36.350-05:00Just about settled. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's been seven days now since we've arrived at the new house. The kids and I left SW Kansas on Saturday morning and by the time we arrived the moving van was gone. And it was time to unpack. It was a bit hairy and stressful for a bit but practically everything is in it's place except for all my photos and paintings. The garage is a bit of a mess too but that's not my department. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The last few weeks have left me feeling anxious and nervous but those feelings have quickly subsided. DR and I have meshed together fairly well this week after six months of living apart. I sure am sleeping better now that my bed isn't empty! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The biggest adjustment we've probably all had to make is the change in climate. Of the seven days we've been here it's rained every day but one. Everything is so very green and there are flowers everywhere....it's a bit of an assault on the senses after 5 years in SW Kansas. Even the wet smells of grass and earth seem almost intoxicating. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrCPC9EDz2MmanMTpEybqu9_COKv19C5b-w6Rfw47b_QAePMBvy9Hb6FX1yWUT5h4uYCDX_iUxMg7M4MY8-NLyHROdx1grxhOZqRywcHMTwJQgiqYHGEjisk20ruFRX9y4DzdJ6oOyEs/s640/blogger-image-362026545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxrCPC9EDz2MmanMTpEybqu9_COKv19C5b-w6Rfw47b_QAePMBvy9Hb6FX1yWUT5h4uYCDX_iUxMg7M4MY8-NLyHROdx1grxhOZqRywcHMTwJQgiqYHGEjisk20ruFRX9y4DzdJ6oOyEs/s320/blogger-image-362026545.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's been so wet in fact that we had to go buy rain boots for the kids so they had something to play in the woods with. (More on that later.) In SW Kansas I never even had to buy them winter boots. A SW Kansas winter is a dry winter. You always hear about the dry heat but a dry winter is different too. It may get cold in SW Kansas but it's the humidity in winter that will drive that cold to your bones like here in the east. I've felt like I've gone through three seasons in one day just because the way humidity effects my body. I didn't think I'd ever have to get used to humidity again!! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVZUYEEIWEa7TAsDYumgYrdauCIy-L4sng4BIWQzEDC4xgLgiKqfiDwfgw5QjXCowAbgoIxuXD_RtFyxw66o0S_J6tfyZqL1h7Yu1MRNKhUeWKaYAn9MQTIumebYfzTV_N7VmTHvFVLc/s640/blogger-image-1439157790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVZUYEEIWEa7TAsDYumgYrdauCIy-L4sng4BIWQzEDC4xgLgiKqfiDwfgw5QjXCowAbgoIxuXD_RtFyxw66o0S_J6tfyZqL1h7Yu1MRNKhUeWKaYAn9MQTIumebYfzTV_N7VmTHvFVLc/s320/blogger-image-1439157790.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Across the street from our house is a lake that the kids have thoroughly enjoyed playing in. Wading and skipping rocks and tromping through mud. I haven't done this much laundry in ages. Yip, Yap and Yahoo are constantly stripping off wet clothes. I won't complain though because they are outside!! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4iAKiAJdYdDdUU3IO2HEK5sdRhM9fmpdkMfkNjZDYSzpcFpRA5o5ddqX7YAqqVxpqMoobsR5idsO3vt7TB1nhjBu42J7wa7f1Xv7s5dqZUge_acV-XFcj6UrkXOiMQXXGhGkyyaxzr8/s640/blogger-image--1617947877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4iAKiAJdYdDdUU3IO2HEK5sdRhM9fmpdkMfkNjZDYSzpcFpRA5o5ddqX7YAqqVxpqMoobsR5idsO3vt7TB1nhjBu42J7wa7f1Xv7s5dqZUge_acV-XFcj6UrkXOiMQXXGhGkyyaxzr8/s320/blogger-image--1617947877.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This little lake is a gem where you can fish and has a 1 1/3 mile walking path around the lake. On Mother's Day evening we all went for a walk here and ended up getting thoroughly soaked by the rain. The boys, who were almost 6 years old when we moved away from Illinois, were happy as clams that they were in the rain. Yahoo however was not impressed. She was only 1 1/2 years old when we moved to SW Kansas so she know nothing but a climate of severe drought. She HATED walking in the rain. It was almost comical how much she complained!! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtkebqFyS3W7RrT_abWfgKWV8lJnaYvUqo0CQGN-7kh1qWc5eCQm84RAprlfmYGl8NzHbQ-Fc1QOVk8HYUs8X6Vhj6vNb9v-nFkWKesfSus_ppTET8RaYd6b5vCDMSqaLg_2rtXoSwtM/s640/blogger-image-1669640408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtkebqFyS3W7RrT_abWfgKWV8lJnaYvUqo0CQGN-7kh1qWc5eCQm84RAprlfmYGl8NzHbQ-Fc1QOVk8HYUs8X6Vhj6vNb9v-nFkWKesfSus_ppTET8RaYd6b5vCDMSqaLg_2rtXoSwtM/s320/blogger-image-1669640408.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Besides the house I think we have made a good start into settling into the community. We signed up for the summer reading program at the town library. Yip and Yahoo are in baseball this summer and Yap is signed up for golf camp. I'm trying to spread the word about <a href="http://therovingbrush.blogspot.com/">The Roving Brush</a> and hoping to get a couple painting parties scheduled for summer time. We've met a few of the neighbors and have become a familiar face already at the local Orscheln Farm Store. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm excited for the summer. I think it will be a good one but I am a little bit homesick for SW Kansas. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I miss you Sue, Connie, Angie, Cassandra. Montezuma will always hold a special place in my heart! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-36846080964525735592015-05-03T09:25:00.001-05:002015-05-03T09:25:20.557-05:00It's down to one hand now and living in limbo. <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img src="http://www.astrogle.com/images/2014/09/number-52.jpg" /> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are down to five days till the big moving day!! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm excited...I'm nervous....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm emotional....I'm ecstatic.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I want to see everyone before I leave....I don't want to see anyone.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's bitter....It's sweet.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is home....but it's not.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our moving day will also mark SIX months since DR left for Kansas City and his new job. After living in a hotel for five months and a new house with no furniture for a month he's most excited about having a couch. I'm mostly excited about not living in limbo anymore. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There gets to a point in the moving process when you are just there. You can't plan much for the near future. You stop grocery shopping because you don't want to buy something you'll just throw away. Needless to say I expect us to be eating some odd combinations of food this week. You stop reading the newspaper or paying much attention to what's happening in the community because you won't be here to enjoy it. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A lot of people imagine that I've been super busy these last few weeks but the truth is life has been the polar opposite of busy. I'm not packing anything. The moving guys get to do that Wednesday and Thursday and even then they won't let me help. I went through the house months ago getting rid of stuff so I don't really have anything to sort through. We sold a trailer and a mower. We got rid of scrap wood in the garage. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tomorrow I'll pack bags for the kids and I to live out of when everything is on the truck. Tuesday I'll take all the photos off the walls and try to consolidate items for easier packing. Thursday and Friday I'll eat pizza at the school with my kids and their classes. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But that's about it. My "to do" list is pretty short. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Living in LIMBO. It's a strange feeling. </span></div>
Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-68017065860290280302015-04-26T09:03:00.004-05:002015-04-26T09:03:44.727-05:00The Moving Jitters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Twelve days....just TWELVE more DAYS! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In twelve days I'll be moving out of the Southwest Kansas house that we've called home for almost five years to move in with my husband. I know that saying "I'm moving in with my husband" sounds weird...and it is weird...but that's how I feel. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">DR moved into our new house (not a home yet) the week before Easter. The only furniture he has are camping chairs, an air mattress and bar stools that he got at a garage sale this weekend. We've been apart for almost 6 months only seeing one another about every two weeks. We've come up with this weird routine over 6 months of seeing each other only occasionally. We save up doing the fun stuff like movies and shopping trips for when Dad is home. I miss my husband but I have to admit that there are certain aspects that I really enjoy about him not being around. I have less messes to clean up! I have a whole bed to myself...that's going to take some getting used to. I have one less person complaining about eating vegetables at dinner. Moving in with my husband is going to be a little weird. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozFfqyqQTAVE6RYTgOBIFtEdcbP0U4zuU7QNp6PZ34a5DcLugnU9LT3Cp78dPX5MYMUJ0RZ_NgM4IJlw1N91xoAVSZOIP9QTp09ZlvhUE1UR3OC_f3_eyZ5Nw_XWX4xeAsawgrprXTKM/s1600/11100864_10205975328249587_6895471112361082481_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozFfqyqQTAVE6RYTgOBIFtEdcbP0U4zuU7QNp6PZ34a5DcLugnU9LT3Cp78dPX5MYMUJ0RZ_NgM4IJlw1N91xoAVSZOIP9QTp09ZlvhUE1UR3OC_f3_eyZ5Nw_XWX4xeAsawgrprXTKM/s1600/11100864_10205975328249587_6895471112361082481_n.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's weird because he's been living in this house for a month by the time we get there. I can't help but kind of think of it as his space and the house we are in now is my space. I'm confident that we'll blend back together just fine (after all we've moved enough times I have this moving thing down pat) but I'm still nervous. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm nervous about living in a subdivision with so many neighbors. I'm nervous about moving from a town of 900 to 4500. I'm nervous about the first baseball game Yip will play a week after we move there. I'm nervous about not making friends. I'm kind of a loner and not very good at just putting myself out there in social situations. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But mostly I'm really nervous about leaving Montezuma this AMAZING community. Small and strong. A place that I feel I was completely embraced by. My boys have lived half their lives here and Yahoo has lived 4 1/2 of her 6 years here. All the school friends they've ever had are here. This may very well be the hardest move we've had to make. Though we are moving to Kansas City and many friends here get up there to the city often, I am nervous that there are some of these wonderful people I may never see again. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So it's not really the house or the place or even moving back in with my husband that I'm nervous about but I'm nervous about friendships. Friendships are always a risk and I'm throwing a wrench in a lot of relationships right now. I sure hope I can make them survive. So..I'm nervous. </span></div>
<br />Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-25983001123208599882015-04-13T20:15:00.001-05:002015-04-13T20:15:49.007-05:00Nothing quite like a Kansas sunset<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglapvQyZNOkBMUOiH4GPHL-lXNzCAssv70r-AH31AfVMjvhVD7rWg8bKcrT3GQ8ZyiiigG_ld4drhVjKvo4H4O9ZVRp6MNNO2Bu1p0vpMqbYydb2r8G7VL0UiMM_-46sUaIyOBpnM5ySQ/s640/blogger-image-1990263936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglapvQyZNOkBMUOiH4GPHL-lXNzCAssv70r-AH31AfVMjvhVD7rWg8bKcrT3GQ8ZyiiigG_ld4drhVjKvo4H4O9ZVRp6MNNO2Bu1p0vpMqbYydb2r8G7VL0UiMM_-46sUaIyOBpnM5ySQ/s640/blogger-image-1990263936.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SoZqfKUvvPXttmKugZkVTs5L4lmOMoDj7kA9pTmlA6WKrpaoHirNGI1cfx1wbDC0jJINz2X9yeQbTshB5Do2pQvYf3DBsRMHfRsTflJnkpoCOcceTmgrnvweaYtzBFvgvwM42c_Z6Hg/s640/blogger-image-1700579009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SoZqfKUvvPXttmKugZkVTs5L4lmOMoDj7kA9pTmlA6WKrpaoHirNGI1cfx1wbDC0jJINz2X9yeQbTshB5Do2pQvYf3DBsRMHfRsTflJnkpoCOcceTmgrnvweaYtzBFvgvwM42c_Z6Hg/s640/blogger-image-1700579009.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAK2DY7UA8M9AK_Frl-nQrS7j2FJrI-u-q5fnSVb_T4QTgtcNmqv0SLwIGqzjPK0iMymwfdvubnfkJijmdkL4EJhrB44jezis2m87UgyXAvYmzmvripAZXCno-GOcSNir7E-gVA0J9fVU/s640/blogger-image-2136078301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAK2DY7UA8M9AK_Frl-nQrS7j2FJrI-u-q5fnSVb_T4QTgtcNmqv0SLwIGqzjPK0iMymwfdvubnfkJijmdkL4EJhrB44jezis2m87UgyXAvYmzmvripAZXCno-GOcSNir7E-gVA0J9fVU/s640/blogger-image-2136078301.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-67180190439917951802015-04-12T08:33:00.001-05:002015-04-12T08:33:08.819-05:00Country Mouse in the City<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So much for a daily blog picture idea that I tried in February. That lasted for all of four days before I got distracted. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But today I'll try just five minutes of blogging before I get distracted by kids and dishes and whatever else.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Good news is that we only have 26 days until moving day and I'll finally be living under the same roof as my husband again. It hasn't been all that tough, just annoying. I told him that we'll have to get used to each other again not to mention get used to a new house and neighborhood. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Which is something I'm a bit anxious about. Over spring break the kids and I spent a few days with DR up in Kansas City and we did a lot of touristy things. And a lot of eating out since we were at a hotel which I got tired of pretty quick. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img height="192" src="data:image/jpeg;base64,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" width="400" /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Between visiting restaurants, museums and just generally being in the big city I felt like a Country Mouse visiting the City Mouse!! I loved the art museums and places to go but I could never shake the feeling that I just felt out of place. AND there were just too darn many people!!! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's a good thing that we aren't actually going to be living in the city....that might give me a heart attack. Our new town is a small town south of the big city, though it's still a LOT bigger than the teeny tiny town I'm living in right now. To give you an idea...Yahoo is in Kindergarten and there is one Kindergarten class of only 14 kids. In our new school there are SIX Kindergarten classes!!! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My Five Minute Timer just went off so I'm going to sign off. I'm excited about moving..but a bit anxious too. But I came across this last night.....</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Words of Wisdom~" height="320" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f4/3b/eb/f43beb37908d63326858bc6beedea0af.jpg" width="213" /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">....so I know I'll be okay! </span></div>
Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-76518376043539734672015-02-19T07:00:00.000-06:002015-02-19T07:00:00.967-06:00Artsy Fartsy Night <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I absolutely LOVE nights when we, as a family, spend lots of creative time together. The older the boys get the more they tend to do their own thing which is great but I miss that time when they were little and excited to do art with their mom. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But last night I was able to talk my kids into helping me with one of my creative endeavors. I bought myself an anatomy book and am slowly working my way through it in order to better understand body structure to improve my figure drawing skills. I always enjoyed figure drawing but haven't done any serious figure drawing since college. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwfOEixrhorREGqlhEWelvWwCDCUxMm-A4BzUjRGxcrp2AB64gUFDeuZAVjCkI_Hu2Y_qvCSlBwNhYoYNqm5EHZFt9Q519UgYwR0x0IiSWRSG5zstgtzJlI1K0BjVNYxfpX8EKU3UYXo/s640/blogger-image-1731675757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwfOEixrhorREGqlhEWelvWwCDCUxMm-A4BzUjRGxcrp2AB64gUFDeuZAVjCkI_Hu2Y_qvCSlBwNhYoYNqm5EHZFt9Q519UgYwR0x0IiSWRSG5zstgtzJlI1K0BjVNYxfpX8EKU3UYXo/s640/blogger-image-1731675757.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And my kids agreed to do a little modeling for me! Hope I can make this a daily habit! The boys were pretty patient and sat still for a FIVE WHOLE MINUTES!! For them that's practically an eternity! Yahoo I think lasted a total of 60 seconds and even then I had to sketch fast, she was always moving! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLxfDZ-9GyBAoBKm0VlSoK-QdVJjiTnL-zcZiu4Nkezw0UD9-m62CE07MdcvcoL9IqVpnm-RnJtqCYDGcfylriXv7f_xfZojfn0JGgQ7PQLUYi-YqZOHBrWayjamPaDYqTjZjzg8lpGU/s640/blogger-image-561099235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSLxfDZ-9GyBAoBKm0VlSoK-QdVJjiTnL-zcZiu4Nkezw0UD9-m62CE07MdcvcoL9IqVpnm-RnJtqCYDGcfylriXv7f_xfZojfn0JGgQ7PQLUYi-YqZOHBrWayjamPaDYqTjZjzg8lpGU/s640/blogger-image-561099235.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yip even set up my camera in order to work on a stop action film with his superhero figures. He got about half done before the battery died...sorry bud! When (and if) he finishes it I'll be sure to share! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And Yahoo had her own special artwork to share especially with me this week! Yesterday I painted a Leprechaun for an upcoming painting party. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvBdNkF_PzHQHG4mGQDrfCU2JvFINerPw_LktGEh-Vji0vYTt4ThuXRLp26Q7POyOOYVqeAbwbIXBnzJRGbXRI4qOJIcVbk-FeA-j_kEDOr8S_asMaYAuCmz7wOeo_AqfYA0GC4FQ4-w/s1600/10991274_800564916676403_4722466758360799951_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvBdNkF_PzHQHG4mGQDrfCU2JvFINerPw_LktGEh-Vji0vYTt4ThuXRLp26Q7POyOOYVqeAbwbIXBnzJRGbXRI4qOJIcVbk-FeA-j_kEDOr8S_asMaYAuCmz7wOeo_AqfYA0GC4FQ4-w/s1600/10991274_800564916676403_4722466758360799951_n.jpg" height="400" width="296" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But when Yahoo saw it she immediately said,</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #a64d79;">"Mommy that painting isn't good!!"</span> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Why?" I asked thoroughly puzzled. (I thought I'd done pretty good considering how fast I'd painted it.) </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"You can't see his face!!" </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(enter eye roll and exasperated face of five year old)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I will show you how to make a GOOD leprechaun!" </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdTxK6xcjnypRNNHNJWuYNkb_pvBV8QZXYe2c9aOoDGGYnNAXg8jESATxJyI5OTwBb0gBeN7S9T4kCUvE83Avs9ynBTpHZ_cpemt1eZGSJZkAITSEme3PNOIwzBVVpUAJWL_CFhHd1Mk/s640/blogger-image--1870758398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdTxK6xcjnypRNNHNJWuYNkb_pvBV8QZXYe2c9aOoDGGYnNAXg8jESATxJyI5OTwBb0gBeN7S9T4kCUvE83Avs9ynBTpHZ_cpemt1eZGSJZkAITSEme3PNOIwzBVVpUAJWL_CFhHd1Mk/s400/blogger-image--1870758398.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A GOOD Leprechaun</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes dear. I totally see my mistakes. Thank you so very much for setting me straight!! LOL </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-55559778442489754582015-02-18T19:46:00.001-06:002015-02-18T19:46:15.755-06:00Gorgeous!<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7pYNCMLFe_4l_fXwiuzDUSH-IC_8OmMC0CPYMahKFBl0Q4NKPadIW_ntvveLJv2DScrRHF_nL1LaCf5t71tZE7VZqTZkJkIDmsxRc7r5M4MWzL5ekb5yVcow5UbaUz7Ig5lJ5ty8ri4/s640/blogger-image-1703355712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7pYNCMLFe_4l_fXwiuzDUSH-IC_8OmMC0CPYMahKFBl0Q4NKPadIW_ntvveLJv2DScrRHF_nL1LaCf5t71tZE7VZqTZkJkIDmsxRc7r5M4MWzL5ekb5yVcow5UbaUz7Ig5lJ5ty8ri4/s640/blogger-image-1703355712.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It's a bit chilly and windy today but this gorgeous sky more than makes up for it. </div>Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-21917814300777086502015-02-16T07:25:00.001-06:002015-02-16T07:25:28.243-06:00What a surprise!<div>Well look at this...snow!! I sure wasn't expecting to see this when I woke up. </div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35aL6Buly7zYnhyphenhyphenhemDGSDjiyexKzrrWVi4o1dZwMEZOaRXahUUi9L6MmxlR3l_OHell09iNRH6cjVuC0EepxDHNysEAHnDgOSt2oreRkki8elsCNtnbkw3PEp-EvWWb5OfF35TC5FJI/s640/blogger-image--581149263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35aL6Buly7zYnhyphenhyphenhemDGSDjiyexKzrrWVi4o1dZwMEZOaRXahUUi9L6MmxlR3l_OHell09iNRH6cjVuC0EepxDHNysEAHnDgOSt2oreRkki8elsCNtnbkw3PEp-EvWWb5OfF35TC5FJI/s640/blogger-image--581149263.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">What a change from just a few days ago when I was outside without a coat! Kansas weather is crazy. </div>Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-63103469550780816362015-02-15T19:39:00.001-06:002015-02-15T19:39:05.279-06:00On the bright side...Dirty dishes at night....<div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_B9cDX4zHMiVvLXu-u2MDuaAagJ8-aC71opeBI9eJLkw7zA6pT2c1p5QMJL6gvWWgyGaxILRM_e51WSli22A_dLJ90LncroMqju2LHLV2BNtxLYcNlqe6U6bAA4Gmqwvm3kpX5qp4s38/s640/blogger-image-67489773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_B9cDX4zHMiVvLXu-u2MDuaAagJ8-aC71opeBI9eJLkw7zA6pT2c1p5QMJL6gvWWgyGaxILRM_e51WSli22A_dLJ90LncroMqju2LHLV2BNtxLYcNlqe6U6bAA4Gmqwvm3kpX5qp4s38/s640/blogger-image-67489773.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">...but very blessed for the food that dirtied them up. </div>Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-88400038533516368052015-02-14T15:21:00.001-06:002015-02-14T15:21:47.598-06:00A nice day...My poor Hoosier family. My mom just texted me that northern Indiana is <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">under a code red travel advisory. And a </span>blizzard warning until 10 tonight and winter storm warning until 7 in the morning. <div><br></div><div>My poor sister in law moved from western Kansas to northern Indiana just a few month ago. I'm guessing she's not having a very good winter so far. </div><div><br></div><div>I probably shouldn't share this photo with her then should I? </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQAklGy6GD_-Ow3cNBWenfuG7axIL0Vj0KRQDkrKRTocqp4AuQzayDQfr25LanrbAIvll36AL5DKXDa05jvgu8AUofMV3d-G_pmMEEepPwvAX4SxiiF_mBr8rmObglgcZBS48S5nu5P8/s640/blogger-image--1716010475.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQAklGy6GD_-Ow3cNBWenfuG7axIL0Vj0KRQDkrKRTocqp4AuQzayDQfr25LanrbAIvll36AL5DKXDa05jvgu8AUofMV3d-G_pmMEEepPwvAX4SxiiF_mBr8rmObglgcZBS48S5nu5P8/s640/blogger-image--1716010475.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Sunny and bright and almost 60 degrees. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I shouldn't complain but honestly...I don't think I'd mind being in the middle of a blizzard right now. </div><br></div>Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-82381156587157498202015-02-12T07:00:00.000-06:002015-02-12T07:00:00.710-06:00Papa Asa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With the big move coming up in just three more weeks my busy schedule is slowing down. I gave up my position as Sunday School teacher and on the Township Library Board. I was looking at my schedule last week hoping that I'd get some good long hours of painting in before the move. That hasn't quite happened yet. I did get this handsome guy done a little over a week ago though. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is my Grandpa Asa who died a few years ago. I was pretty close with this Grandpa even though we fought a lot! Stubborn runs in the family I guess. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1ReuaJwMVsVWM3Ez1WlGwnuF45EC6wAD6BeNIlBak0JVp9XTrbaEawGnQAZgRCX8OjCo0IzVStetVHGiVIarYNhFcYmQt_dZhrM3OFBq_S4s0iaKpxynewX_vO96V0ScLQJKVL4uClg/s640/blogger-image-1482349510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1ReuaJwMVsVWM3Ez1WlGwnuF45EC6wAD6BeNIlBak0JVp9XTrbaEawGnQAZgRCX8OjCo0IzVStetVHGiVIarYNhFcYmQt_dZhrM3OFBq_S4s0iaKpxynewX_vO96V0ScLQJKVL4uClg/s640/blogger-image-1482349510.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I worked on this one on and off for about 4 months before it was finally finished. I already shipped it off to my Grandma Mary, his wife. I already miss him though. I admit when I started painting this I started at his eyes and I cried for the first couple days. Papa's eyes were his most striking feature and it was really hard to paint him. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last year I finished a painting of my Grandma Lennis. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_a3hnrybZKkU2rLgNlNnjK1qptoG4JaJI2ZJSpm61qVY1i6s270S-G7tvm1AExCCU_cv5a-UP1BlwzT6b-ye0Ibc7BXP3A23rBRkTresdOkGBAxn41jn5tO4afJhbWFymdhewlV-zq0/s640/blogger-image-1390811193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_a3hnrybZKkU2rLgNlNnjK1qptoG4JaJI2ZJSpm61qVY1i6s270S-G7tvm1AExCCU_cv5a-UP1BlwzT6b-ye0Ibc7BXP3A23rBRkTresdOkGBAxn41jn5tO4afJhbWFymdhewlV-zq0/s640/blogger-image-1390811193.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think I'm getting better. I'd like to paint a picture of each of my grandparents but I'm having trouble finding good photos of my other grandpa to work from. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday I was hoping to paint but Yahoo was sick all day. Maybe nothing urgent will come up today and I can get some time in. I think one of the hardest things about being an artist is not allowing day to day life intrude on your creative time. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-34208137583751659612015-02-11T08:19:00.001-06:002015-02-11T08:19:14.108-06:00Home sick<div><br></div>I guess I'm not going anywhere today. Yahoo is home sick with a fever. I'm not complaining though because we have dodged the bullet on the nasty stomach flu so far this winter but we've had a lot of bad colds. Coloring books and Netflix!<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBP5uArPKRdZZkkdwGctwXmDJlFQWLsTq8hLqS9oASKT4tXKGWuBpxEOg6kt3Q3-saByg9XtRIWLgPJ4DSLDaP7PaE5StWeySGck6dgukXsSZE1LlfGume7qXKCvj_t2QAyshw34hg40/s640/blogger-image--1497570414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBP5uArPKRdZZkkdwGctwXmDJlFQWLsTq8hLqS9oASKT4tXKGWuBpxEOg6kt3Q3-saByg9XtRIWLgPJ4DSLDaP7PaE5StWeySGck6dgukXsSZE1LlfGume7qXKCvj_t2QAyshw34hg40/s640/blogger-image--1497570414.jpg"></a></div>Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-89293312308329743472015-02-10T14:24:00.002-06:002015-02-10T14:25:26.155-06:00Big News! <span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wow, I can hardly believe that it's been almost four months since I've blogged. I know I've been ignoring my blog here but I must say the other aspects of my life have been flourishing! </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In case you didn't know, in the last year I've started my own business <a href="http://therovingbrush.blogspot.com/">The Roving Brush</a>, a traveling painting party. It became more successful than I had ever imagined it would. In the past 16 months I'd say I averaged one party a week which along with substitute teaching and teaching Sunday School I've only gotten busier the last couple of years. </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And of course Yip and Yap are 10 1/2 years old, almost as tall as me and busy with basketball, 4H and the many adventures they get themselves into. Yahoo will be 6 in a couple of weeks and is so very proud of the fact that her bike's training wheels are off and she's working really hard at learning to ride like a big kid before......</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">........big news coming......</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">........can you guess???.............</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WE ARE MOVING! (Yes, again!) </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let's recap shall we?? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;">Quick timeline;</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;"><strong>Aug. 2003</strong> - DR and I were married and I moved from central Indiana to <a href="http://prairiemother-prairiemother.blogspot.com/2010/04/spaetzle-german-foodyum-yum.html" style="color: #333300; font-weight: bold;">Kentucky</a>. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;"><strong>March. 2004 -</strong> DR's job moved him, temporarily, to <b>Delaware</b>. I was two months pregnant with twins. I move in with my sister in Indianapolis because we don't know how long "temporary" will be and what issues we may have with twins. So for the next few months DR and I flew back and forth to see one another. In <strong>June</strong>, "temporary" became permanent and I am told by my doctor to no longer fly. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;"><strong>August/Sept. 2004- </strong>Yip and Yap were born very healthy and a month later my mom and I drove to Delaware with the babies. DR didn't like the position he was forced into with this company and so....</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;"><strong>January 2005 - </strong>My parents and teenage brother came to Delaware and helped move us back to <b>northern Indiana</b>....through a blizzard....with 5 month old twins....to a rental house that I'd only seen once.....two years before. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;"><strong>October 2005 - </strong>We moved again to a house we bought two streets away because,you know, we thought we'd be there for a while. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;"><strong>July 2006 - </strong>DR is asked to take a position in southern Indiana close to his family....we move again. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;"><strong>October 2007</strong> - <b>July 2010 </b>DR's company moved us again to central Illinois close to the Indiana state line. Yahoo was born!! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;"><b>July 2010 - March 4, 2015 </b>We've lived in Montezuma, KS one of the best little communities in the world!! (can you tell I'm biased?) </span><br />
<span style="color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-size: 13px;"><b>March 4, 2015 - </b>will be our last day in this great town and we'll be moving to a 20 acre place in the country that I haven't seen yet!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;">I am super excited for our move though. We'll be living about an hour southwest of Kansas City, KS which is only a day drive to my parents in Indiana!! That's so much better than the two day drive with three kids that we've faced these last 4 years. DR has taken a job with his company that's a promotion (more on that later hopefully!) that he is really enjoying. He's been living in Kansas City in a hotel since early December and we are all tired of it! My kids miss their dad!!! </span></span><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana;">The kids are pretty nervous about being at a new school but I'm sure they'll adjust pretty quickly. </span><br />
<span style="color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;">Anyway, with our move coming up we (obviously) have some big changes coming. I anticipate that the biggest challenge for me is that I will suddenly have either a) a whole lot of time on my hands to blog or b) so busy with living in the country and kick starting The Roving Brush again that I won't have time to blog! We'll see! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;">As I was searching back through my blog to find that timeline above I found all those posts I did years ago that were Pics of the Day. Now why haven't I been doing those in a while? Oh, I know it's tricky to lug a camera around, load pics onto the computer and then post. But now I have a phone I can blog from and....why haven't I? I've decided to try to do those again.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;">With just about 3 weeks until moving day my schedule is all kinds of crazy. Some days I find myself busy from sunup to when I crash into bed and then other days, like today I find myself with some unexpected time on my hands. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;">I'll do my best to keep you all updated on the big move! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;">Keep us in your prayers...we need it!! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4d7307; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;">Heather </span></span>Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-18096108706270446792014-10-07T22:18:00.001-05:002014-10-07T22:18:16.125-05:00Harvest notebookThis week marks the third full week of harvest. The farmers are going hot and heavy in the fields and are keeping my husband pretty busy. DR leaves before 6 o'clock in the morning and doesn't get home until after 10 o'clock at night. Not only does he work really long days but he usually works 13 days in a row. Which makes harvest hard not only on DR but pretty hard on his kids when they haven't gotten to see their dad for over a week. <div><br></div><div>If we were a farm family Servite being harvest wouldn't be nearly as hard. If DR were a former then the kids could spend time with him while riding in the combine or a semi. Or the kids could spend time with him every evening eating dinner in the field. But a grain elevator isn't the best place for kids to hang out and spend time with their dad. It's crowded it's busy and really if we went to the elevator we would just be in the way. </div><div><br></div><div>Yep and Yap are 10 years old and they are pretty close to their dad. Which makes harvest even harder for them to endure. So this harvest we have started a harvest notebook. Every day after school the kids sit down and write a message or dictate a message to me for DR. There Messages me explain how their day at school went or how their spelling test was. Sometimes they ask their dad how work is going or random questions they wanted the answer to. A lot of times the kids will ask their dad to do things with them after harvest. Sometimes the notes were funny and sometimes they are serious but they always end with a message to their dad of how much he is missed.</div><div><br></div><div> Then every evening when DR gets home from work and as he's changing clothes and falling tiredly into bed I read him the notes from his children. He answers each no patiently while I write down his answers. He always ask plenty of questions of his own to keep the conversation going. In this little way the kids and DR keep a connection that sometimes it's hard to nourish during harvest. </div><div><br></div><div>The harvest notebook has been good for everyone. This harvest isn't going to last forever. DR anticipates only a couple more weeks before life gets back to normal. It could be worse. I remember a harvest in Illinois that lasted three months. Whatever the length of harvest though when you don't get to see your dad it always makes the time feel a lot longer. So the harvest notebook has helped us be patient during harvest waiting for dad to get home and gives us things to anticipate when harvest is finally over. </div>Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-90080385864680487892014-09-23T08:24:00.000-05:002014-09-23T08:24:17.724-05:00Blogging Rut.....In case you couldn't tell by my lack of blogging posts the last year I'm in a blogging rut.....<br />
I suppose I have plenty to write about being that I have three loud and busy kids at home and myself having spreading my eggs in lots of different baskets (church, painting parties, substitute teaching, library board, etc......that's an exhausting list.) But none of the things going on lately inspire a lengthy blog post, though I feel like I have enough stuff rattling around in my to keep me up at nights. Some of which......<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>We've lived in SW Kansas for 4 1/2 years now. The longest DR and I have lived in one place together our whole marriage. Honestly, I'm getting a bit antsy! We had a good wet summer this year in SW Kansas but I'm not sure if it was enough to start celebrating the end of a 5 year drought. It was odd though to drive down roads this summer and not recognize where I was because of all the green. Other than that life in SW Kansas is still pretty much the same; dry, windy and plenty of tumbleweeds.</li>
<li>Yip and Yap aren't playing football this year (4th grade). They lost every game last season and were pretty bored since they played on the line and barely touched the football. I love sports but I'm totally fine that they aren't playing football; it's made for a pretty relaxing fall so far! Our Saturdays are open and I'm not rushing them to practice once a week. They are looking more forward to playing basketball...me too!!! </li>
<li>Yahoo is in Kindergarten this year and it's meant a big change for me. I'm home all by myself days I'm not working and she's suddenly has independence she didn't have before. Last week was the first time she went to the library program without me. I have to admit that it made me a bit uneasy. Not because I was worried about her but because, for the first time in ten years, I don't have the feeling that I have a child who can't be without me. It's odd. That's just something that takes a bit of time to get used to. I'm learning to like it!! </li>
<li>Speaking of Library....I'm on our public library's board. I love my librarian (she's awesome) and other board members (so supportive) but working with <u>other</u> government entities (that will remain nameless) is exhausting. Sometimes I just can't figure out how people in leadership positions can be so stupid and irresponsible. *heavy sigh*</li>
<li>Substitute teaching is same old same old though I may be busier this year considering the new respiratory virus going around. The school sent home a note about it but really, it was hard to get too worried considering the beginning symptoms were the same as a common cold. So we stocked up on orange juice.....</li>
<li><a href="http://therovingbrush.blogspot.com/">Painting parties </a>are keeping me busy too. I'm having so much fun doing them and now that school is back in session I'm averaging about one a week. I could write about them all the time but I'm sure you all would get bored hearing about them. The best part is painting parties gives me the opportunity to teach people who really want to learn!! </li>
<li>I could say that I'm also busy cleaning my house while my kids are at school all day long but there's better things to do!!! </li>
</ul>
Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-88856259925486945242014-09-20T23:36:00.001-05:002014-09-22T08:01:37.693-05:00Painting with The Peanut Gallery, otherwise known as "My Family" <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know, I know....it's been forever since I've posted anything. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm in a blogging rut....(I'll worry about that later..) </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Though a couple of weeks ago we had a GREAT family event!! My brother got married and our whole family came from Indiana for the wedding!! All my brothers and sisters, their kids and spouses, were in one picture! That happens only every 3 years or so...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">( I LOVE this photo!) </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEvcHWMP99cZmQSn_SzLcqV3EA6urP9pXvsdVZzwb28j2So-0TZS6TFyozsYkxeSxqEuI1CBvwmUGaAcW9eZz3Nnuh9eMTZyBMutPDQQW8f-WuA2fwbacoZg5cXTQVGL69IO7ZSD5A8Y/s1600/10384364_10152261295221441_1765456793011692451_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEvcHWMP99cZmQSn_SzLcqV3EA6urP9pXvsdVZzwb28j2So-0TZS6TFyozsYkxeSxqEuI1CBvwmUGaAcW9eZz3Nnuh9eMTZyBMutPDQQW8f-WuA2fwbacoZg5cXTQVGL69IO7ZSD5A8Y/s1600/10384364_10152261295221441_1765456793011692451_n.jpg" height="195" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most of us got together the week before the wedding and camped out at<a href="http://www.reserveamerica.com/camping/lake-scott-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=KS&parkId=519131"> Lake Scott State Park</a>. They have some really nice cabins. Not only did we camp out and climb hills and roasted marshmallows, we also had painting parties! We split up the guys and the girls because someone had to watch the kids while we painted! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEjr_ywnNyZLyanIGPp2RFAbWOLIFNFLxr8Jeecv_weoT1toH-A8pcVFBIGEzzrXLTY4VoAzlQsyAQ1acsjpCjdVsblmf4BZoRCZRjaO2X9LtiO5LCdILW5ty0PqrW9d68hWKgof_V5I/s1600/IMG_1520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEjr_ywnNyZLyanIGPp2RFAbWOLIFNFLxr8Jeecv_weoT1toH-A8pcVFBIGEzzrXLTY4VoAzlQsyAQ1acsjpCjdVsblmf4BZoRCZRjaO2X9LtiO5LCdILW5ty0PqrW9d68hWKgof_V5I/s1600/IMG_1520.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First two of my three sisters, my two sister in laws, mom, grandma and cousin painted outside in the campground shelter. It was great, despite the 95 degree heat and breeze. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've never had paint dry so quickly! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvpUWKteTB-Q_fC4D1PK0ImJ3gaX830z50NqbyDSCm6TDVpqlijiFJ77ZqUV3O7zjkCygD43rFc1u9aFpG7zz2-A5xYWN9ubvZPRltxpjAQX43vtHBsKMMI2QoJqqEymvVgmcIWV6yw4/s1600/IMG_1523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvpUWKteTB-Q_fC4D1PK0ImJ3gaX830z50NqbyDSCm6TDVpqlijiFJ77ZqUV3O7zjkCygD43rFc1u9aFpG7zz2-A5xYWN9ubvZPRltxpjAQX43vtHBsKMMI2QoJqqEymvVgmcIWV6yw4/s1600/IMG_1523.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Painting with these ladies was great! It was just as I expected it would be. They painted, asked questions, and came up with some really great ideas! </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPAK3VhVf_zy0uYGXVs1Nm9hAIIy91GKVOXZQu26zh0yDkKQvbw9_ug6xqQsq6GB-2fOxMIgmubqX-iv_Ls7f3ewmmFtEzsOc9D-o4Tb3LCHtz4Pav4TLoKgrB76MJgh2u0xmaF-s1bc/s1600/IMG_1526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwPAK3VhVf_zy0uYGXVs1Nm9hAIIy91GKVOXZQu26zh0yDkKQvbw9_ug6xqQsq6GB-2fOxMIgmubqX-iv_Ls7f3ewmmFtEzsOc9D-o4Tb3LCHtz4Pav4TLoKgrB76MJgh2u0xmaF-s1bc/s1600/IMG_1526.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Overall it was a great painting party! Very much like all my other painting parties. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We painted a pasture with a barn, trees, a fence row and some flowers. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehu9ZQGlv6FCX2hV0bjZLxURX1pvrfZbW8DRKOHuLB3nzYzekXkwZLOHyZ-1gzvUZQaqFo9vzGTyJW79rNQJwzz1SWmj8ByUcEBHjZsfmZ_8mLDX3yMQBv5EqVY_tUebaIZHWYE0m9z0/s1600/IMG_1528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehu9ZQGlv6FCX2hV0bjZLxURX1pvrfZbW8DRKOHuLB3nzYzekXkwZLOHyZ-1gzvUZQaqFo9vzGTyJW79rNQJwzz1SWmj8ByUcEBHjZsfmZ_8mLDX3yMQBv5EqVY_tUebaIZHWYE0m9z0/s1600/IMG_1528.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirj1EXFyS73l9BwwaKxZE_Dl75yEbc0GK5StEf7_OxhIJyVuRg2tYDEHWD6MMLh4NFRWOqeU6srdfCa6MGibSddKDdUcjThnLumO6uuKHq_OWphbtsxIMfXSuNgcSw309f-ywqQG9lfWk/s1600/IMG_1533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirj1EXFyS73l9BwwaKxZE_Dl75yEbc0GK5StEf7_OxhIJyVuRg2tYDEHWD6MMLh4NFRWOqeU6srdfCa6MGibSddKDdUcjThnLumO6uuKHq_OWphbtsxIMfXSuNgcSw309f-ywqQG9lfWk/s1600/IMG_1533.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6a-45E4KadFNXCn9u__yKvKGig9juDmBCzphMnT3p47o1Qevij9QsW9cSSkiDbfzrZJfGpdRY10P1E3Au1JcHJN7ZbGw_MfLlPp45lh-MFwnk89QeACmrizruuLGtfVWmbMWGOuiKf4/s1600/IMG_1535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6a-45E4KadFNXCn9u__yKvKGig9juDmBCzphMnT3p47o1Qevij9QsW9cSSkiDbfzrZJfGpdRY10P1E3Au1JcHJN7ZbGw_MfLlPp45lh-MFwnk89QeACmrizruuLGtfVWmbMWGOuiKf4/s1600/IMG_1535.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But then the next day I painted the very same picture with the guys.....</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">...oh boy...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You know, sometimes when I host painting parties I tell folks that having a beer or a glass of wine before helps some people relax and paint. But I think my brothers took that advice just a bit too far. They came in pretty rowdy! (I had to have two beers right off to get through the night!!) </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghU2wp5RLpvY8fxWEV65cAH32BADA466Xdg5X2hj-QEsukXJOWdHILkP-5RQ8YmHMePmXIH40c0DppW6W5p8QyNBi3KQzwtFCEMe2pijJD_FApIpMvyeX1ZTHprHjSMWxbjwbfO_3Jauk/s1600/IMG_1543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghU2wp5RLpvY8fxWEV65cAH32BADA466Xdg5X2hj-QEsukXJOWdHILkP-5RQ8YmHMePmXIH40c0DppW6W5p8QyNBi3KQzwtFCEMe2pijJD_FApIpMvyeX1ZTHprHjSMWxbjwbfO_3Jauk/s1600/IMG_1543.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our family had rented two cabins for the week and we crowded the guys into one cabin for an evening of painting. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My dad (on the left) and my three brothers...</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEK7q9zT0Wg4voNHnHnR1r1vCx4XCF_YXao2wArztnllDhBcKtw7id1Iez1ij62uO0yjLlay52tCV5u1m0T2lgGtztqid6DUClKVVIJUSuD_dU0DQQQIpWonf39XyIXWYZlwwDMEPLzI/s1600/IMG_1544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEK7q9zT0Wg4voNHnHnR1r1vCx4XCF_YXao2wArztnllDhBcKtw7id1Iez1ij62uO0yjLlay52tCV5u1m0T2lgGtztqid6DUClKVVIJUSuD_dU0DQQQIpWonf39XyIXWYZlwwDMEPLzI/s1600/IMG_1544.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">...my two Okie cousins who had just arrived. We didn't even let them eat! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Thanks for being a good sport guys!) </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyulOPg4PFLNuzztzGYZ8SnSGDz1hukbzXSQ-koiMQpDPniGOP7xS4chz-05oCgPgguCuznlA1GJuJ13rRfWydDVm5dMW7VN0Nh7uDr0SsCg-M_AA_Ba5LoURczSCOusv84NVMSvE70c/s1600/IMG_1550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyulOPg4PFLNuzztzGYZ8SnSGDz1hukbzXSQ-koiMQpDPniGOP7xS4chz-05oCgPgguCuznlA1GJuJ13rRfWydDVm5dMW7VN0Nh7uDr0SsCg-M_AA_Ba5LoURczSCOusv84NVMSvE70c/s1600/IMG_1550.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">..and my brother in law. Yeah, he painted a fish...I ran out of big canvases!! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All that was left was a little fish.....whoops. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Yep...that's my crazy husband in the background ....I'm not sure what that face is all about!) </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqlD3om_mk504MdxL4jLmhfnugZVHbVRHD-ZJvTUDeDbK30rwLgn2HL3lTnyhw1wTjWHO8hwpCD3AepsPfUbxUTJ6fX6CGLzqh6eMzUmU9tgZxRPcQIsEFTjTVXnu3nzExE-GNvZ_kDs/s1600/IMG_1551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqlD3om_mk504MdxL4jLmhfnugZVHbVRHD-ZJvTUDeDbK30rwLgn2HL3lTnyhw1wTjWHO8hwpCD3AepsPfUbxUTJ6fX6CGLzqh6eMzUmU9tgZxRPcQIsEFTjTVXnu3nzExE-GNvZ_kDs/s1600/IMG_1551.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've done about 40 painting parties and they've always been pretty relaxing for me! I've always enjoyed teaching people and coming up with new ideas for paintings. I love working with people and helping them solve their painting problems. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUi4GtRhdxB9gZ5vYvheDm1MmPFxWwKBG9kWGGyQiy_pHPPuVQZHZ95RVzxEn_w8u6y-34dAnVZsc4t7wQDE9iT0R-A_wAQ0Gu1qFo_vK8EZmTjr2HMV1Q6PMFLFq3LhTTKZo4h5fxge0/s1600/IMG_1552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUi4GtRhdxB9gZ5vYvheDm1MmPFxWwKBG9kWGGyQiy_pHPPuVQZHZ95RVzxEn_w8u6y-34dAnVZsc4t7wQDE9iT0R-A_wAQ0Gu1qFo_vK8EZmTjr2HMV1Q6PMFLFq3LhTTKZo4h5fxge0/s1600/IMG_1552.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But painting with my brothers was not relaxing. They sure know how to rattle my cage! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My brothers were "The Peanut Gallery"!! I chugged two beers just to deal with all the heckling! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Though they were loud which was a lot of fun!! Sometimes painters can be a bit too quiet. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But not my family of guys !! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkJtpIvCnOHrcgIr7LNpljWXZDRMo6sMxQfEEq7fdosRANbjAQBmKIfBbt8JshgixKi0-xVta9xFJsxLyxLc9QxJzX8hG_GWSTVfnbaYcgx1OvtGf0bTCnDDkGmtizRbTzVxCCuTRjTk/s1600/IMG_1553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkJtpIvCnOHrcgIr7LNpljWXZDRMo6sMxQfEEq7fdosRANbjAQBmKIfBbt8JshgixKi0-xVta9xFJsxLyxLc9QxJzX8hG_GWSTVfnbaYcgx1OvtGf0bTCnDDkGmtizRbTzVxCCuTRjTk/s1600/IMG_1553.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess maybe I deserved it though....</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm the oldest...and I guess maybe I was kind of bossy growing up. Especially to my brothers. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Heck I'm at least ten years older than all of my brothers so they probably got tired of me (a second mom) a long time ago. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mGFenwZ0UBDSNQBJtaMDMOqhWg_57u1i96TFjNk6aqEcHjxrtqWqoti07AZ7m91qpf-vGcdcoWdLDcFA_ul0nirqndCVHAAKf58lHn9CB2kMegdAT4KqpMA6F2XjPfAlcPz6k909iGM/s1600/IMG_1554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mGFenwZ0UBDSNQBJtaMDMOqhWg_57u1i96TFjNk6aqEcHjxrtqWqoti07AZ7m91qpf-vGcdcoWdLDcFA_ul0nirqndCVHAAKf58lHn9CB2kMegdAT4KqpMA6F2XjPfAlcPz6k909iGM/s1600/IMG_1554.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maybe they got it all out of their system though. I sure hope so.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not sure if I ever want to paint with guys again if guys in general act anything like my brothers!! </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPYaZNsriPoatHcmGAm7QIN4ri8yiNuDtlsYi7U1a2afhc-NyT_nMd15jRUjEcxLrqerF9Oz-Ql1f_jb04tVEFM5y4TFQEgDXdn54bs9vtKYnZnnFu9oMeFgU-YlSqNuWM4LtcAi74yI/s1600/IMG_1559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPYaZNsriPoatHcmGAm7QIN4ri8yiNuDtlsYi7U1a2afhc-NyT_nMd15jRUjEcxLrqerF9Oz-Ql1f_jb04tVEFM5y4TFQEgDXdn54bs9vtKYnZnnFu9oMeFgU-YlSqNuWM4LtcAi74yI/s1600/IMG_1559.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was proud of everyone though! For as crazy of a week that we had with all wedding stuff I thought the painting parties went really well. My whole family did a great job painting! </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BHWxUNn7WMqlGBKIFz85QxCYn5et6iqLRlf9W3Hbunq_o8ToyjpuJkyW739czPUJ52pMogUZ0SEETCJwkRGKutIWbXyKi6la7982HhzHRg5eWGCLvHOOAdkvBp5fdbTHVWwgJUeMOcM/s1600/IMG_1560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4BHWxUNn7WMqlGBKIFz85QxCYn5et6iqLRlf9W3Hbunq_o8ToyjpuJkyW739czPUJ52pMogUZ0SEETCJwkRGKutIWbXyKi6la7982HhzHRg5eWGCLvHOOAdkvBp5fdbTHVWwgJUeMOcM/s1600/IMG_1560.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Normally I take a group photo of artists and their paintings but we were pretty tired by the time we were finished and didn't get around to it. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm hoping they will all send me pics of themselves holding their paintings...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">...HINT, HINT!!! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">...(9/22) and my mom just sent me a couple more pics!! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img height="300" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10701992_719028411496721_6083029191688685021_n.jpg?oh=ed92196759fc731befb2965ae156d045&oe=54934BDC&__gda__=1422884586_0541820d182af68299171a554e8e863f" width="400" /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My brothers Mater, Mountain Man, John Deere and my dad. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img height="299" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/10712735_719028421496720_114486750166809373_n.jpg?oh=f4722c898768e3d9799f227acdf08097&oe=548A1B3C&__gda__=1421757506_33f14daf97ad9bc7641cacf770bf1791" width="400" /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And my mom and two sister in laws (sorry, no cool nicknames for you two...yet!) </span></div>
<br />Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-78332775625579998932014-08-08T16:23:00.001-05:002014-08-08T16:23:12.386-05:00Salt Mine Museum<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You know that expression that goes, "Make plans and God laughs."? </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yeah, sometimes I think that's what I should name this blog. My plans have gone down the drain more times than they've gone as planned. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our family had actually planned on taking a vacation this week to Colorado but then two weeks ago we ended up taking a last minute trip back to Indiana. So there went our vacation money. While we were at home in Indiana we were able to do a little bit of fun stuff but our experience was overshadowed with trips to the hospital. (A close family member had us pretty worried for a while but everything turned out better than anticipated.) </span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">DR and I felt like we wanted to have one more summer fun day with the kids so we headed to Hutchinson, KS over the weekend to see <a href="http://underkansas.org/">Strataca</a>; the underground salt museum. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAA7192ZzvVPFW368HaL-CJd6mn2TKBO0EOIsJF4GzzIHeuRQ69mmqk-XkP0_SiH0qBlbZrBIuaFYDaqibS7rBTBXC7IkL9TED8stEQQe1WKNhGVVAofFtGiqXJSEKpf84tpHAFrsHQQ/s640/blogger-image-560084763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAA7192ZzvVPFW368HaL-CJd6mn2TKBO0EOIsJF4GzzIHeuRQ69mmqk-XkP0_SiH0qBlbZrBIuaFYDaqibS7rBTBXC7IkL9TED8stEQQe1WKNhGVVAofFtGiqXJSEKpf84tpHAFrsHQQ/s400/blogger-image-560084763.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A fairly plain facade, as though it wants to go as unnoticed as the mine beneath it. </span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpH_Xh0R7VLkOoUggL_j6DIqXqiTNQls1fKTo7q9QEcshl-7Has2Wu9uLeFTYWa7bThyJw7yPBlgDkXPYQ4IxE_MIFg52hfNxzeMhw3_DZSRFrv8z55ws3NSBeGNkH2lFOVuyrf9djVvs/s640/blogger-image-1819047556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpH_Xh0R7VLkOoUggL_j6DIqXqiTNQls1fKTo7q9QEcshl-7Has2Wu9uLeFTYWa7bThyJw7yPBlgDkXPYQ4IxE_MIFg52hfNxzeMhw3_DZSRFrv8z55ws3NSBeGNkH2lFOVuyrf9djVvs/s400/blogger-image-1819047556.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When you get to the mine you have to buy tickets for a certain time. They only take 30 visitors down every 20-30 minutes. We arrived at 1:30 but didn't go down until 2:40 and this was on a Sunday afternoon too. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUYjjM7XbzQNxBidnsMIpDaScHGLK3fSPEGoX7YxaJxOJcrfSnntcTtckW1hZHh8M7mLgj5B7qoQzNOET8-KjYxlnpu-QHBUdnUsBZONYsSgjeOrjDqL3S-JdibldiWQY6tsGMxobhvs/s640/blogger-image-1733807043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUYjjM7XbzQNxBidnsMIpDaScHGLK3fSPEGoX7YxaJxOJcrfSnntcTtckW1hZHh8M7mLgj5B7qoQzNOET8-KjYxlnpu-QHBUdnUsBZONYsSgjeOrjDqL3S-JdibldiWQY6tsGMxobhvs/s400/blogger-image-1733807043.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once it's your turn to go down everyone gets fitted with a hard hat and a self rescuer, a nifty 3 lb. device that is slung across our chest that, in case of fire and smoke, we would use these to breathe. Though we were reassured that in 70 years of bringing visitors down no one had ever needed to use them. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTrT276UPuvdqTaYnyPPVtq9oR-Kvo1LHv8TfJYBPuMuG9g4GD4Nrflq_SRl4N_LcxvwYAk-IyS_ZByJ7eXXnhQo3ZY2T7qXKB_ehJYppjfj9g0zbF511WIhrm9Tf9WfYT1kjnGM-RCU/s640/blogger-image-233844171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTrT276UPuvdqTaYnyPPVtq9oR-Kvo1LHv8TfJYBPuMuG9g4GD4Nrflq_SRl4N_LcxvwYAk-IyS_ZByJ7eXXnhQo3ZY2T7qXKB_ehJYppjfj9g0zbF511WIhrm9Tf9WfYT1kjnGM-RCU/s400/blogger-image-233844171.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We took a 90 second ride down in a hoist we arrived in the gallery, a huge room/tunnel with a few signs explaining that this salt mine is pure salt with very little other minerals found. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSL74YgHntp_j-4yBGEj-NxWhBvW1LdEj4l-mYFKuZCGDdBjDLKqyrhoH1lIg8013anvPOhxoFC1gc3ypvVk7oJNTE78fB_BBy0sMoSzkBT7z9YlGMSiM-7gjGsL4TS6UEX5HOWzoraFU/s640/blogger-image--1076350224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSL74YgHntp_j-4yBGEj-NxWhBvW1LdEj4l-mYFKuZCGDdBjDLKqyrhoH1lIg8013anvPOhxoFC1gc3ypvVk7oJNTE78fB_BBy0sMoSzkBT7z9YlGMSiM-7gjGsL4TS6UEX5HOWzoraFU/s400/blogger-image--1076350224.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is an awfully big hunk of salt!!! I think it was 400 lbs...whoa! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Carrey salt mine is still active and is used as the rock salt that is put on icy roads. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYJKJFiqTHQ0IXx8o9SoTDsVZJ9UTiewyCimINvCSRimh1x-VbabbwrtvtwZOTFHSCoGuNAuv_fdhFDaa2Yx-syaNTBtiFXOqzABrt8Mg7FRSUjdyFxv-ZWd7LP9w1Kh2D25n3so-M5s/s640/blogger-image-1480542823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYJKJFiqTHQ0IXx8o9SoTDsVZJ9UTiewyCimINvCSRimh1x-VbabbwrtvtwZOTFHSCoGuNAuv_fdhFDaa2Yx-syaNTBtiFXOqzABrt8Mg7FRSUjdyFxv-ZWd7LP9w1Kh2D25n3so-M5s/s400/blogger-image-1480542823.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are a lot of really neat artifacts on display throughout the museum. This is the machine that was used first in the process. This giant chainsaw would saw at ground level under a wall, then holes would be drilled in the wall, explosives inserted in the holes, then....BOOM!!....a pile of rock salt! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElzvLdC__3H49hNHC1ujFou6Mzi1a9kCIK6VnFXXuQVWcW1eRvCGBj41DQ9tPP6ZVv7NZYBkRb6BWtT8xwkRInJ_jXHTxyV3zfrFQZX-2BMH3DI500u1ts_4LuHdPGR1kTwlpokjYI1A/s640/blogger-image--2002415569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElzvLdC__3H49hNHC1ujFou6Mzi1a9kCIK6VnFXXuQVWcW1eRvCGBj41DQ9tPP6ZVv7NZYBkRb6BWtT8xwkRInJ_jXHTxyV3zfrFQZX-2BMH3DI500u1ts_4LuHdPGR1kTwlpokjYI1A/s400/blogger-image--2002415569.jpg" width="390" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fresh air is pumped down the mine, of course, and since there are about 150 miles of tunnels there are places that don't need fresh air. Since the very early times miners have been blocking off some of those unused tunnels so as not to waste fresh air. In the distance you can see one such wall built of lumber. Some walls were also built by filling empty dynamite boxes with salt. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhmgRxgNvJxr37M5qE5yVNV-cot9xB_IssEbW-mtcXk6yj7IkS9RN498Pw0c5M_Y_ekwRIFKsb6srESBNUJJ2FO4RnVTf31UYfXzO35TkF6AIoSABzAMO1ngE02Vu1_v9c8yi9dHEaYw/s640/blogger-image--563014694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhmgRxgNvJxr37M5qE5yVNV-cot9xB_IssEbW-mtcXk6yj7IkS9RN498Pw0c5M_Y_ekwRIFKsb6srESBNUJJ2FO4RnVTf31UYfXzO35TkF6AIoSABzAMO1ngE02Vu1_v9c8yi9dHEaYw/s400/blogger-image--563014694.jpg" width="380" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not only is the mine used to supply salt but some of the empty tunnels are used as storage. Every major Hollywood movie company has something stored in the Hutchinson Mine. There was this Dorothy from the movie Twister, Dean Cain's Superman suit, a uniform worn by Matt Damon from the movie Monument Men and more on display for visitors to see. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-I5L5W4vSoD4clLOLt7GSMhdAJHgHxZ_-WmSSOccx4BSg_un4hubzfdK6XF0JLCJtXSI0ssUMqa2_i8D0W6ib5kZnO_t2t4kHFH58-Url65lDJu2kXkoRf5HjZjZbuezEmSeO2XALlwk/s640/blogger-image--609322631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-I5L5W4vSoD4clLOLt7GSMhdAJHgHxZ_-WmSSOccx4BSg_un4hubzfdK6XF0JLCJtXSI0ssUMqa2_i8D0W6ib5kZnO_t2t4kHFH58-Url65lDJu2kXkoRf5HjZjZbuezEmSeO2XALlwk/s400/blogger-image--609322631.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The museum itself is self guided with a natural flow with a variety of artifacts on display as well as videos that explains the mining process. In this photo the family had taken a seat to watch how the salt was transported to the surface. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithOxfnLokYRMI1vVQIathiQ72x9HITm2OdmiH3UCLFv8owsRXERVkF-3BMcTxGOG-FHi_f5yLwnQpl_Yja9wHCyyu-jBdeF8Euwou-XyHi2FgqucZ7Ian27Kgia-J9n_Z07eCUiXBaKU/s640/blogger-image--1628959200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithOxfnLokYRMI1vVQIathiQ72x9HITm2OdmiH3UCLFv8owsRXERVkF-3BMcTxGOG-FHi_f5yLwnQpl_Yja9wHCyyu-jBdeF8Euwou-XyHi2FgqucZ7Ian27Kgia-J9n_Z07eCUiXBaKU/s400/blogger-image--1628959200.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can't leave the mine without your own souvenier piece of rock salt (<i>because THAT'S so hard to come by</i>!) They have a huge pile for folks to rummage through. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHy8WZOclldWNJCPt8CrxCyYdTyG16mV-MXyVqXj2XaX9kHn_dBT_g6OW1rFM3bW0uO1jaemg2KogmhQJbO4CXHTOHsyH7TRw7bdAzNZ-6OdHUgN1TOIrUPikDPHoM8rcdhyphenhyphenXksoH7vY/s640/blogger-image-218262825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinHy8WZOclldWNJCPt8CrxCyYdTyG16mV-MXyVqXj2XaX9kHn_dBT_g6OW1rFM3bW0uO1jaemg2KogmhQJbO4CXHTOHsyH7TRw7bdAzNZ-6OdHUgN1TOIrUPikDPHoM8rcdhyphenhyphenXksoH7vY/s400/blogger-image-218262825.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjHgeSnd26kwxtUviGoxQcpI5JlWCFsCAQEZEeaClG-lvT9o5ZPK_oTNEY9xCk88vFMagdDcpzbL5R19wKVy0jlYrgqiHhngkRADGfSfGI5ey15V-0rMf4hZy2pL2sIwiv43hqNusxHs/s640/blogger-image-1281034049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqjHgeSnd26kwxtUviGoxQcpI5JlWCFsCAQEZEeaClG-lvT9o5ZPK_oTNEY9xCk88vFMagdDcpzbL5R19wKVy0jlYrgqiHhngkRADGfSfGI5ey15V-0rMf4hZy2pL2sIwiv43hqNusxHs/s400/blogger-image-1281034049.jpg" width="288" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have miners in the making!! Seriously, Yip is all ready to start training to be the powder man...yikes!!! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYXlffspof6k1NBBo7BBj-tJjYGNUuqQyW0805NrMz9PH3_Yz0-lYY_XbVw-TFDHYPEY0g9QJZz7vzWUeKxlvujpDD-PIRgrd6B8a9pakvZlLwZ0jUVPlZ4DpNZ8oqTfBbpamg3hgdzE/s1600/10407979_10203680808334155_5536420317766333908_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYXlffspof6k1NBBo7BBj-tJjYGNUuqQyW0805NrMz9PH3_Yz0-lYY_XbVw-TFDHYPEY0g9QJZz7vzWUeKxlvujpDD-PIRgrd6B8a9pakvZlLwZ0jUVPlZ4DpNZ8oqTfBbpamg3hgdzE/s1600/10407979_10203680808334155_5536420317766333908_n.jpg" height="320" width="308" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VNNNVmZqkGdpk0pKZWggZGT_0rnvtLkexsxAXY0c_v31qQSJOi1Fx3xlBA2hr350PwfFn3nFBNLBM6kvPwEytjN2yvS-pasvYJxOk1qk7i6YcXmPNchWnVgQ0gXS1CAl1TVYYcmZcR0/s1600/10580269_10203680807774141_959484087611716343_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VNNNVmZqkGdpk0pKZWggZGT_0rnvtLkexsxAXY0c_v31qQSJOi1Fx3xlBA2hr350PwfFn3nFBNLBM6kvPwEytjN2yvS-pasvYJxOk1qk7i6YcXmPNchWnVgQ0gXS1CAl1TVYYcmZcR0/s1600/10580269_10203680807774141_959484087611716343_n.jpg" height="284" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A really neat museum that I highly recommend!! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-25887070252038448522014-07-10T08:00:00.000-05:002014-07-12T08:34:05.813-05:00Camping Solo (almost)<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wheat harvest started a few weeks ago which made me a harvest widow for a few weeks. Though there wasn't a huge wheat harvest (still in a drought despite June's rain) there was enough to keep DR working some late nights. Which meant it was a great time to take the kids camping!! (Since DR is not a fan of camping!) </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaTWa_Vlu2Yp3TlDC8vwVZRGRT0gioAycB_QCHoBaJr091s3sSXEzo5xp_y2SlMOZTFp60f1UZJd_oiHqfD8KuvP9zcWnEAxzDHSlbFCs40Kj7VMluvCdjUdtQ15EKN6j18OUUpn1xIw/s640/blogger-image--424246172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPaTWa_Vlu2Yp3TlDC8vwVZRGRT0gioAycB_QCHoBaJr091s3sSXEzo5xp_y2SlMOZTFp60f1UZJd_oiHqfD8KuvP9zcWnEAxzDHSlbFCs40Kj7VMluvCdjUdtQ15EKN6j18OUUpn1xIw/s640/blogger-image--424246172.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Everything went great if I do say so myself!! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyCNsR7vOY91AirFxzKj7Lgl3VTWRFEtGDp2N93tU0wxQjRwJN7_SPdv8mSu5YuHE5gdDDrZfwtSZV_YHa_DZr08-wFryi8cxwnIxG8rHo0QvU6WgJkD5ORXlPnDlTM0MwUNKX73gVwg/s640/blogger-image--1280564346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyCNsR7vOY91AirFxzKj7Lgl3VTWRFEtGDp2N93tU0wxQjRwJN7_SPdv8mSu5YuHE5gdDDrZfwtSZV_YHa_DZr08-wFryi8cxwnIxG8rHo0QvU6WgJkD5ORXlPnDlTM0MwUNKX73gVwg/s640/blogger-image--1280564346.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hiking into the wild unknown....well, as unknown as you can get on a mile loop around the lake</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6vXScumjo641i8x1NaksViNESnkUfPmTX7FkiJcloL9m1GIz4H3CZXtzYinEEC83CG0kZgDbuwB3JmOiHWvleZXNmh8nDsO4j4Zr068Me1fKVLu_-molYmoRWG2Xca6JUEZDA6WFMVI/s640/blogger-image--1664160351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6vXScumjo641i8x1NaksViNESnkUfPmTX7FkiJcloL9m1GIz4H3CZXtzYinEEC83CG0kZgDbuwB3JmOiHWvleZXNmh8nDsO4j4Zr068Me1fKVLu_-molYmoRWG2Xca6JUEZDA6WFMVI/s640/blogger-image--1664160351.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqw_QLbspmnOSzfPdie8sMpgIzofrHHVUHiOqppQ83PjVg1i2pbxcJXjbUNPLA5R_S-CFAs4gyUzKSKDmlrqZf7XQi7hbK1nWtGncmJO8PJ_R83fzmsjsmS9_qWFOorHf1H1jgKkv7HCs/s640/blogger-image--2030135860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqw_QLbspmnOSzfPdie8sMpgIzofrHHVUHiOqppQ83PjVg1i2pbxcJXjbUNPLA5R_S-CFAs4gyUzKSKDmlrqZf7XQi7hbK1nWtGncmJO8PJ_R83fzmsjsmS9_qWFOorHf1H1jgKkv7HCs/s640/blogger-image--2030135860.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Contemplating life's mysteries around the campfire.....really the only place for such heavy philosophical work </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReKXjea6Yk-Ii07O5ntQDqUqgoEUmwh56ERSkyrh2cpUDROB8dCHIWKfpCYNk_lgNnVkabVWK5F-MmawnB1gxxNvzTrbShLRS4wt1fplaJUBMiSmKnachvjbbhoyj8Pinpf1t5q3VVro/s640/blogger-image-403065984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReKXjea6Yk-Ii07O5ntQDqUqgoEUmwh56ERSkyrh2cpUDROB8dCHIWKfpCYNk_lgNnVkabVWK5F-MmawnB1gxxNvzTrbShLRS4wt1fplaJUBMiSmKnachvjbbhoyj8Pinpf1t5q3VVro/s640/blogger-image-403065984.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsb4HeKmmpd2De0MJzQ2rOhEjuGDvoScXEVb9YATUAtxk5PaA0HYQ4HgBp7hpB6_hVf_snC2AlEKQKu7AkI5DOftDYqy2mh7VZsipomHLHiRHjZh0C4V6zRzBWj2gmafRrDpvWA4B-j0/s640/blogger-image--614772682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsb4HeKmmpd2De0MJzQ2rOhEjuGDvoScXEVb9YATUAtxk5PaA0HYQ4HgBp7hpB6_hVf_snC2AlEKQKu7AkI5DOftDYqy2mh7VZsipomHLHiRHjZh0C4V6zRzBWj2gmafRrDpvWA4B-j0/s640/blogger-image--614772682.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Experiments in engineering.....</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYeNCpirUYj814NQ9WisufGuEnOa7G52Y22C3ZtmOA8umKpi7SfQ4Y2XvnTMYiKpZZ3V6JITHxFbeSYzS3QkOsqaSwE43OzVhHgFlau3PpJ9jCWQzV0ZwuWxuvA66e2W9QABQdBvLwyM/s640/blogger-image--975114524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYeNCpirUYj814NQ9WisufGuEnOa7G52Y22C3ZtmOA8umKpi7SfQ4Y2XvnTMYiKpZZ3V6JITHxFbeSYzS3QkOsqaSwE43OzVhHgFlau3PpJ9jCWQzV0ZwuWxuvA66e2W9QABQdBvLwyM/s640/blogger-image--975114524.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYVEGKWmyb6o_g3rR-44-QlGz0D8tKLAwkKtvIh8wywPAtyaynpZ-IGW9hnHvZhHsN2KWuATyNOVAICjOH0J2pEMYnR3McuY-6TnqhWBPwJ5US0weTpTvPBpBuze98QIuZMZwvLc_eMg/s640/blogger-image-833208953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYVEGKWmyb6o_g3rR-44-QlGz0D8tKLAwkKtvIh8wywPAtyaynpZ-IGW9hnHvZhHsN2KWuATyNOVAICjOH0J2pEMYnR3McuY-6TnqhWBPwJ5US0weTpTvPBpBuze98QIuZMZwvLc_eMg/s640/blogger-image-833208953.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gourmet dinners......</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4d8iqa6zjPLKKLIfUe7P2KzosIHxgkhN-4PiV8Y85iww8FUHM19NGYIR5jgBY1P3rVNdEnf3RWa78hCIPvPjWGE-bqa6nlXB264PjqU4nOMZpiAqbqb74x_H7iaSBP_xaHANs1mbxq8/s640/blogger-image--1960060404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4d8iqa6zjPLKKLIfUe7P2KzosIHxgkhN-4PiV8Y85iww8FUHM19NGYIR5jgBY1P3rVNdEnf3RWa78hCIPvPjWGE-bqa6nlXB264PjqU4nOMZpiAqbqb74x_H7iaSBP_xaHANs1mbxq8/s640/blogger-image--1960060404.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We did cut the trip short due to this sky rolling in. I'm not a fan of packing a wet tent. I've done that too many times! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm already looking forward to our next trip!! It's looking like our July weather is going to make a cooldown next week so maybe then! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-52449890902351658572014-07-09T22:02:00.001-05:002014-07-09T22:02:14.872-05:00Flash Floods are so much fun. <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know I've been absent this summer. Now that none of my kids take naps during the day anymore I don't find a whole lot of down time for blog writing as I used to. (I'm hoping that will change when school starts.) I found a few minutes tonight and thought I'd share some fun pics that are about a month old. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During June SW Kansas had about 11 inches of rain which was delightful! One such storm brought 3 inches alone! And there is nothing quite as fun as playing in the flooded street after a storm...especially when you know all that glorious water will be gone by the next day. All that rain has literally transformed Kansas into a green carpet that, honestly, confuses me! I was driving down a back road just the other day that I barely recognized because it was so green!<br /><br />Anyway, when it rains we take full advantage of the flash floods to play in the streets!! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZM-Jb_gfvCBBGFoCAgMkn7LsQfZ14cUPwe67b2FUn4JsjFumBDoOPkJsTtM6djfpDkoj0-baRzTvVKoJRTCwfPUk3AmFKPBv5jvLsIG34SY30ZiVWOF9ynuP1QXak7pD-oqQ8QyiLmg/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZM-Jb_gfvCBBGFoCAgMkn7LsQfZ14cUPwe67b2FUn4JsjFumBDoOPkJsTtM6djfpDkoj0-baRzTvVKoJRTCwfPUk3AmFKPBv5jvLsIG34SY30ZiVWOF9ynuP1QXak7pD-oqQ8QyiLmg/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-KVi0GEy0ArXpbY7HpcJwVW3HkUcjN7X9AaJEkg1aHyW_stGJzMN9C2hF62H_uNVMvc5ebcLgwQBMU7-LtM6yeiFauksnTUndJ1vz40i-rSN502U0BQRTX4549pvOkivozIOOn0-IEc/s1600/DSC_0028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-KVi0GEy0ArXpbY7HpcJwVW3HkUcjN7X9AaJEkg1aHyW_stGJzMN9C2hF62H_uNVMvc5ebcLgwQBMU7-LtM6yeiFauksnTUndJ1vz40i-rSN502U0BQRTX4549pvOkivozIOOn0-IEc/s1600/DSC_0028.JPG" height="400" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cjJglWEjR8ej1beRlU5Cjjuoa9QzRXIrxileqnnm8_RzqhBboWi7-IIJQYFkVYzW5zmXVGrD3JEGUKeBh1rp9IjOAMT4hxX8IpdM-UJ4N86d-RamJPxDyRt-Ry2EIlP5e3fmP4IYLfM/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cjJglWEjR8ej1beRlU5Cjjuoa9QzRXIrxileqnnm8_RzqhBboWi7-IIJQYFkVYzW5zmXVGrD3JEGUKeBh1rp9IjOAMT4hxX8IpdM-UJ4N86d-RamJPxDyRt-Ry2EIlP5e3fmP4IYLfM/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" height="400" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsh1HWT_vLm7gJPMlBhITs8EPKPxBQufVH80LKo6ypo3ZEzv7LlxauEsScHNkKI3LiStHiGaBHoZbB9cYWiVz1IrSkwgwmYh3bRrPAgildQ6Z3QZSu6nLTXs6sQLfY5ZmPSe3tXukBeUs/s1600/DSC_0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsh1HWT_vLm7gJPMlBhITs8EPKPxBQufVH80LKo6ypo3ZEzv7LlxauEsScHNkKI3LiStHiGaBHoZbB9cYWiVz1IrSkwgwmYh3bRrPAgildQ6Z3QZSu6nLTXs6sQLfY5ZmPSe3tXukBeUs/s1600/DSC_0038.JPG" height="400" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycR1q2DXAngNv8IpRAbmsLQRKGaNhJ__MmE8YzHFTh1k7GVkpfvL-aqD7z7EpV84-S7wbg52LjR0XVnGcK3HSfSHoapVK9nklZ44nVMO5P0w0kt-BjugypNLYFkGrshYOLD9k_USuz1Q/s1600/DSC_0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiycR1q2DXAngNv8IpRAbmsLQRKGaNhJ__MmE8YzHFTh1k7GVkpfvL-aqD7z7EpV84-S7wbg52LjR0XVnGcK3HSfSHoapVK9nklZ44nVMO5P0w0kt-BjugypNLYFkGrshYOLD9k_USuz1Q/s1600/DSC_0048.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQbsSVy5OxNLDpH26pJj3bxkZGXn2YtlPQ9XwHjznf1zmNvvX6BtnKoBbO3RMA4vy1yFAcVPyNJz4VvVEWX9_36h2Ruor4QvzNSif2v1BMhKn_F7mKERHyOiNlj1debpTnNaP0OyJtF0/s1600/DSC_0058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQbsSVy5OxNLDpH26pJj3bxkZGXn2YtlPQ9XwHjznf1zmNvvX6BtnKoBbO3RMA4vy1yFAcVPyNJz4VvVEWX9_36h2Ruor4QvzNSif2v1BMhKn_F7mKERHyOiNlj1debpTnNaP0OyJtF0/s1600/DSC_0058.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOPX89OmIuMOVAWgGOJoIAcIe4pni47hv3JrbJn7coJZGzDDjf5PuRrKVk8NtpPloWdy8BgLezWjtAZAglcqmzfaSeB8pOyX-4WmVT77D6hrAzcYmE102J_JNh39f_kJRpvvRjwLW5SY/s1600/DSC_0063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOPX89OmIuMOVAWgGOJoIAcIe4pni47hv3JrbJn7coJZGzDDjf5PuRrKVk8NtpPloWdy8BgLezWjtAZAglcqmzfaSeB8pOyX-4WmVT77D6hrAzcYmE102J_JNh39f_kJRpvvRjwLW5SY/s1600/DSC_0063.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrMPCH3Z1FRTzGYJS5gQ0SLKAyKIJd9W5ATG7wBbsS590aQtLQHZUHdmFZd8mYWJgzDeEL1W7jTQlDjjZTGIaNqFid_6HpDshEiTFG6DTJ3d2hShrBkrgNE8nNPhkPe9fvabW3IopiSg/s1600/DSC_0071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrMPCH3Z1FRTzGYJS5gQ0SLKAyKIJd9W5ATG7wBbsS590aQtLQHZUHdmFZd8mYWJgzDeEL1W7jTQlDjjZTGIaNqFid_6HpDshEiTFG6DTJ3d2hShrBkrgNE8nNPhkPe9fvabW3IopiSg/s1600/DSC_0071.JPG" height="400" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5L9NJSvJeW-QH9G1TXw-IyC1YlPrasUNurM9pMDgxGm9mqp_MTZ7P7IARwyacG8mat3lpUg1AQOXjfA7VCFT-7QNByIVzXVmmxAGhaDiOQGh2YvrrVLo-cR0_fKGHFiKUUPqFaQb1khk/s1600/DSC_0072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5L9NJSvJeW-QH9G1TXw-IyC1YlPrasUNurM9pMDgxGm9mqp_MTZ7P7IARwyacG8mat3lpUg1AQOXjfA7VCFT-7QNByIVzXVmmxAGhaDiOQGh2YvrrVLo-cR0_fKGHFiKUUPqFaQb1khk/s1600/DSC_0072.JPG" height="400" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8148069244490960291.post-87854354164459116392014-06-07T07:59:00.001-05:002014-06-07T08:07:00.015-05:00The CloudA big storm came through last night with an amazing photo opportunity. This Cloud. DR was driving home and took these first two pictures while I was sitting in the yard watching the top of this Cloud move over buildings and trees. It was moving fast. Definitely something I've never seen before and may never see again. <div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbK5xUxeV7vZNiRuVPCOojaZKL8xuO_e05x0DqmiigeL7C5_QmMTnEAqWCHCZM4Cbj53TODVb9lO5e1Wx4qnp7_wrkhn3rNlFWO-xFBO7EHmZWsR9J1I-aopBX7hRdpbCRGrjb6Ymx8CU/s640/blogger-image--1593233698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbK5xUxeV7vZNiRuVPCOojaZKL8xuO_e05x0DqmiigeL7C5_QmMTnEAqWCHCZM4Cbj53TODVb9lO5e1Wx4qnp7_wrkhn3rNlFWO-xFBO7EHmZWsR9J1I-aopBX7hRdpbCRGrjb6Ymx8CU/s640/blogger-image--1593233698.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is the Cloud that resulted in our flash flood last night. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3Zl6-Qw6bOukxghpMBEr3K8qFJl3EiwUVJtweotrGy2c7SEKfmBDKKPyQ3SaZ3i6K0rdaC0CLDFls7QArWd7Y4oGdVNiFyn8v_F2Ulafi-2TeYlRN3GF-NeOjTyeN7uOgXslbmolr0E/s640/blogger-image-617828795.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3Zl6-Qw6bOukxghpMBEr3K8qFJl3EiwUVJtweotrGy2c7SEKfmBDKKPyQ3SaZ3i6K0rdaC0CLDFls7QArWd7Y4oGdVNiFyn8v_F2Ulafi-2TeYlRN3GF-NeOjTyeN7uOgXslbmolr0E/s640/blogger-image-617828795.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I went to post these on Facebook and it seemed like everyone in town was putting up their version of this Cloud too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My favorite is this shot taken by Luis in front of the golf course. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzD-cwFtYRbT3Sk9pv3cvPR3D-_Af42BVTwN14gsQKRNhwj5yTgN64wB10Dr6OlqJwZZ6GLYTxYmt_OrDF6udRtFqqxu-n0dGwcbUkoTmvbUE-cbNV3dgEnGDPIKkSh-XWoXluyKLCtU/s640/blogger-image-538715437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzD-cwFtYRbT3Sk9pv3cvPR3D-_Af42BVTwN14gsQKRNhwj5yTgN64wB10Dr6OlqJwZZ6GLYTxYmt_OrDF6udRtFqqxu-n0dGwcbUkoTmvbUE-cbNV3dgEnGDPIKkSh-XWoXluyKLCtU/s640/blogger-image-538715437.jpg"></a></div><br></div>And only an inch of rain!!!</div></div>Prairie Motherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09072295464494031920noreply@blogger.com2