A Million Miles

We're hittin' the road, in the mornin'...

headin' East. 

Grandson, Justin is Ridin' Shotgun. 

Love. 

I've been down a pretty dark, and deep 'Rabbit Hole'... since last week. 

'The Road'... for me, has always been pretty good 'medicine'. 

Need to get back to visit Dr. Fitzgerald, sometime soon. 

Cancelled two appointments with her last week. She's a Huge 'Dog' Lover, I know she understands. 

The eye, I think... is improving. Slowly. 

So.... slowly. 

oh dear. 

Seems the next couple of weeks are going to be  

filled with 'Old' memories. 

Friday, with Nephew, Jimmy... at his Parents, Jim and Sister, Chery's Farm. 

then, next week, am invited to spend the afternoon with The Conner side. 

Meet with my 90... plus, year old Cousin, Shirley,

 {who is Sharp as a Tack!! }

and Brother, Sonny's Kids, Niece's and Nephew, for lunch in Marshalltown, Iowa. 

Somehow, don't know how ready I am... for so many 

'Memories'. 

oh dear. 

{ these last several days, have left me a little weak... a little raw.}

It's not like putting on a suit of armor, and going to battle with Fairfax, and IDOT. 

hahahahaha. 

Not, that these 'Family' meeting's are going to be a battle, at all. 

It's, just... I've always been, since I can remember...

very protective of Dad, and Chery. 

{John, Mom, and Everyone... I hold Dear.}

Love. 

As raw as my nerves are.... now, well... wouldn't take much to set me off, should any, no matter how 'slight'... negative... words be spoken. 

uh... oh. 

oh..... dear. 

The Conner's are talking about carpooling, to Marshalltown, next week. 

I'm thinkin'... since I'm a 'Smoker'.... I'd better drive myself. 

Dear, Neighbor... Paul, has my laptop done. 

YAY!! He's dropping it off, first thing tomorrow morning. 

He's Hoping... It'll be Just Fine!! 

Me Too!! 

Have a Lot of Business... to catch up on, that my little Android, simply... can't do. 

Just thinking... about these Family gatherings, over the last several days... has taken me back a million miles. 

Oh my. 

Love. 

Love to Ya...

Prayers for All. 

Barb C. 

Indeed... Always.

Love.

Love.

As painful... as a 'Broken Heart' is, I pray...

Heart's will Never become...

'Unbreakable'. 

When Love, and Empathy...

 are somehow shielded with the excuse of 'practicality', well, in my humble opinion, that wouldn't be an 'Oz' worth living in. 

Oh my. 

Love to Ya...

Prayers for All. 

Barb C. 

Always.

Love 

One more day.

Love. 

Still in a very... dark place, today. 

This one's... gonna take some time. 

Visited with my Nephew, Jimmy, this afternoon. 

Sister, Chery's Son. 

Jimmy's Dad, Jim... passed away a while back, Jimmy asked me to come look at his parents house, and give him some direction, next week. 

I've only visited Jim and Chery's home, once, since Chery passed away, back in '03. 

I was closest to Chery, out of all of my Siblings. 

She, and I were 21 years apart, but once I finally grew up, were inseparable. 

She's one of the biggest reasons I Love 'Old', so. 

Chery, and Dad. 

Love. 

Chery had an Amazing Eye, and Loved to restore Antiques. 

Her 'Home' was So Incredibly Inviting, no matter where they lived. 

Chery had a 'Wanderlust', concerning 'Homes'. 

She was a Stay at Home Mom, mostly, but... she Loved finding Old Houses that needed Love, and worked Tirelessly fixing them up, while Jim worked a factory job. 

Chery, was Amazing. 

Love. 

It frustrated Jim... hahahahaha... that as Soon as they'd get the 'Fixer Uppers' Perfect, hahahahaha...

Chery would be combing the newspaper for Another... Old House, that 'Needed'. 

Hahahahaha!! 

Love. 

I don't think Jim gave Chery Near Enough Credit!! Chery made them A Lot of Money... over the years

{ which meant Nothing... to Chery}

while Saving so Many Homes. 

Love.

Oh my. 

It's gonna be tough, walking back into that Old Farmhouse. 

I'd do anything for Jimmy. He's Such a Good Kid!!

Love. 

I see, and hear... So Much of Chery, in him 

Love. 

Chery Loved Critters, she was Always Rescuing little lost souls. 

Love.

Jimmy... shares Chery's empathetic heart. 

Love. 

Can't write about this last week, but ..

want to put the information out for the Amazing People, below. 

Love. 

They Definitely gave me Hope, until Highway 151 took it all away. 

So Grateful for These Folks. 

Oh my. 

Love.

We just needed one more day. 

Love to Ya...

Prayers for All.

Barb C.

one more day

It's not the Loving... It's the 'Losing'...

The Loving Comes So Easy. 

it's that 'Losing', I'll never be able to get around. 

Still... can't write about the horrific tragedy that unfolded, beginning Tuesday afternoon, and concluded Thursday morning. 

I know, I have to... because, maybe... it'll help others. 

I'm so incredibly heartbroken for ALL concerned. 

When I can finally find the words, I want to tell the story correctly, and not leave anyone out. 

There were So Many Wonderful People who Stepped Up, and Did All They Could. 

This was Such an unimaginable turn of events. 

Heartbreaking, is a huge.... understatement. 

May take me a long time, to find the words. 

Prayers for All.

Barb C.

tears in heaven

In my opinion, there's only been One... 'human' who walked on this Earth... Who has the capability of 'Unconditional Love'... like a 'Dog'... 

He's been gone over a couple thousand years. 

Some Things are Simply too Heartbreaking to write.

Said I'd post the 'Story'...of the last few days, no matter the ending. 

Can't do it. 

The 'ending' arrived first thing this morning.

Some situations are simply too Heartbreaking to share. 

Perhaps, one of the worst nightmares I could imagine. 

Here's what I can share. 

I've met some of the MOST Caring, and Loving People, over this 'Story'. 

People who Love Animals, are nearly as Good as the Critter's are. 

There's no 'Happy Ending' today. 

Barb C. 

Another... 'Day'

It's been another trying day... in Fairfax, Iowa.

I'll write about it, when 'The Story' ends. 

No matter... how, it ends.

Here's one thing I Know. 

There's Some Incredible People on Our Earth. 

and Around Fairfax, Iowa. 

Oh My. 

Suppose... I should touch on the Midterms. 

Glad Jon Ossoff... Won, in Georgia. 

I've watched him, for several years. 

He's Incredible.

Ossoff reminds me of Lawyer Meardon.

Guessing some day, he'll be 'President' Ossoff. 

Hope so. 

Also Grateful... Things will be changing in Iowa. 

I've been waiting for that. 

Plan on heading to The Capitol... fighting The Iowa Department of Transportation's... Immunity to Fraud. 

In my humble opinion, the only entity seeking, or needing to enjoy....

Immunity to Fraud, are Those Fixin' to Commit 'Fraud'. 

My humble opinion. 

I get accused, often... of being a Liberal. 

Get accused... often, for being a Right Winger. 

oh my. 

hahahahaha. 

I'm an American. 

Grateful to So Many 'Americans' for Standing Up, and Turning Out, yesterday. 

Love to Ya...

Prayers for All.

Barb C. 

God Bless The USA

Love. 

Indeed.

What a 'Journey'.

Indeed, I did. 

Hope Everyone Did, Too. 

What transpired... after, here, at Home... is quite a Story. 

Oh my. 

I'll write about it, if, and when... there's a happy ending. 

Politics way... Aside.

What a Day. 

Love to Ya...

Prayers for All. 

Barb C. 

Fall... Rain.

Another Rainy Evening....

Love. 

{all windows are up.}

hahahahaha!! 

It's a Good Thing, because it's really coming down. 

Still Praying... the water stays out of the house.

 Working on the IDOT/Fairfax Wrongful Bike Trail Accommodations, messes, still. 

Better not get started on that journey. 

hahahahaha. 

oh... Boy. That could turn South... Real Quick. 

Hahahahaha!!

I'd much rather sit here, and listen to the Rain. 

Love. 

Yup. 

Double... Yup. 

Dare I say... Thrice???

Hahahahaha!!

Oh my. 

The Thunder, just arrived. 

Love. 

If we've gotta have short days, may the Evenings be filled with a little gentle Rain, and soft... Thunder. 

{I'm Way Too Irish!! Hahahahaha!!}

Tomorrow's The Day. 

Get Out There... And Do Your Thing!!

Love!!

or, as The Late, Great... Sir Patrick Stewart,

{Jean-Luc Picard, 'Star Trek The Next Generation'} would say...

"Make It So."

{nor should good, honest 'people', in my humble opinion.}

Love. 

{WHEW!!! Just as I wrote the Above... A HUGE Bolt of Lightning Struck Outside The Windows, and THUNDER SHOOK The House!!!

If THAT'S Not a Sign.... Nothing IS!!!}

Hahahahaha!!

Love...

Love...

Love!! 

Love to Ya...

Prayers for All. 

Barb C. 

No Stranger to The Rain

Love. 

'We're So Lucky '

Welcome... November. 

It's a cool, overcast beginning to November, in Eastern Iowa... this morning. 

We received a little more rain, last night. While lying in bed, listening to the rain... it dawned on me, the passenger side window was down in The Ford. 

Guessing he's a little damp, inside this morning. 

Oh well, he needed a bath, anyway.

Hahahahaha!! 

He'll dry. 

Tho I refrain from politics, here... best I can, I've been a little vocal on FB. 

Oh dear. 

Hahahahaha!! 

Pissed a few off, yesterday. 

I truly Adore those I pissed off. 

Somehow, guess we'll never see eye to eye, concerning some things. We actually... have quite a lot in common, there's just a thing or two ahhh... where we have a major obstacle between us. 

hahahahaha.

Was listening to the below link, this morning. 

Not sure if you can see, or hear any of the links I post here, from my android. 

Laptop is still down. 

If you can't hear the link, it's Katie, interviewing Kerry Kennedy. 

They're talking about Ethel Kennedy. 

Absolutely Priceless. 

Priceless!!! 

Something to listen to Every Morning, in my opinion. 

I'm not much of a believer in 'Luck', 'Blessings'... yes. 

Listening to Kerry talk about her Mom, made me think of my Folks. 

Love. 

Dad, no matter what... Always seemed to find The Best in most Everything, and situation. No matter what. The 'Best' is Always There... if you take the time, and have the patience to search for it. 

Often, 'time' reveals much. 

'Blessings'.

So many times, while riding along with Dad, we'd get into some Very interesting situations, that seemed quite 'unfortunate' momentarily. 

Hahahahaha!!

but, somehow, those interesting challenges... Always, Always... seemed to work out in The Best Ways!! 

Oh my. 

We'd had never met some of the Best People, or have Seen.... Some of the most Beautiful places, had we stayed on the safest paths.

Yes... We Were Lucky. 

'Blessed'. 

Indeed!! 

It Truly Is, the little things in life, that are the Biggest. 

Love. 

One of my Dearest Friends, Kate... showed me a photo album she put together over the years of 'Clouds' she captured on film. 

Love. 

I can't look at the sky, anymore... without seeing the Beauty, and thinking of Kate. 

While traveling with Allyson, up North... I thought of Kate, so often. 

The Sky Was Incredible. 

Incredible. 

The True Blessings in life, in my opinion, are those money can't buy. 

Love. 

Hope You Enjoy This First Day...

of November. 

Love to Ya...

Prayers for All. 

Barb C.

Blessed...

Aren't we lucky.

Love. 

Wishing All... A Happy Halloween!!

Yes... 

Wishing All A Happy Halloween!!

Filled The Witch's Brew Mug Up... With my Favorite 'Brew', this... Halloween Night.

Love. 

{found it on mine, and Allyson's last adventure. Love It!!}

I'm stayin' Home, behaving myself, 'This' Halloween.

hahahahaha!!

Trust me, I can get into Plenty of Trouble... most days,

including Halloween, without leavin' Home!!

Hahahahaha!!

Oh... dear. 

Love to Ya...

Prayers for All. 

Happy Halloween!!

Barb C. 

Indeed.

Love.

The truth is, I've never been one to go out, on Halloween. 

What I've Always Enjoyed, over the years... was helping create Costumes, and doing Makeup, for those who do.

Oh my. 

Love!! 

FUN!!