Saturday, November 22, 2025
Holidays...
Received the sweet message, this morning.
<3
It was difficult to part with Santa...
purchased him, from Dear Pal, Cheri, several years ago, when she was moving.
He's Vintage... Paper Mache, very Cool.
; )
The only place I could safely store him... was in Liz's... old Bedroom.
Always felt so bad, when I'd go into that room, Santa... seemed pretty lonely.
I... perched Santa on the Balcony, most every year.
<3
A couple years... forgot all about Santa.
I... don't often go inside Liz's Room.
The 'Holidays'.... can get so Crazy.
oh my.
: (
Marci, and her Sis... each bought an
Old...
Gnarly
Toy
Truck.
<3
I see Marci has hers...
Decked Out, on her Mantle.
: )
<3 <3 <3
As 'painful'... as it is, sometimes...
to 'let go',
well...
It Makes my Heart Swell, when I see Folks
'Light Up'...
to the
'Old Souls'
as much as I do.
<3
Happy Hands!!
; )
Yesterday... was a Zoo, on most every level.
Had a Bunch of Business to tend to,
then...
felt I'd better get Thanksgiving Grocery Shopping Done.
As I finished computer work, yesterday morning,
felt my ring snag on my jeans, as I went to stand up.
Didn't think much about it, tho... that had never happened before.
It wasn't until I got to the Store, reaching for a cart, noticed....
the
large
Garnet...
center stone...
was gone.
When I took a Tumble... down the basement stairs, several years ago,
was directed to take all of my rings off, at the hospital.
{I was pretty banged up, everywhere... didn't want them to have to be cut off.}
Daughter, Liz... kept 'The Ring' for me.
Liz brought it back, later, in the
'Fitting'
Humpty Dumpty
Box.
<3
: )
John gave that Ring to me, for Christmas... LONG Ago.
{35 years ago... I'd guess.}
; )
Was Stunned... when I opened the
Pringles Potato Chip tube,
to find 'The Ring' carefully wrapped in a Mountain of Tissue,
at the bottom.
: )
{Thought Sure... Something was Gonna 'Pop Out'...
and
Scare Me!!}
Hahahahahahaha!!
John, and I... rarely exchanged 'Gifts'.
<3
'Christmas' was About The Kids...
Family...
and Friends.
<3
If... we did 'exchange' Gifts, we'd get something we could both
'Use'.
; )
One year... we gave each other a 'Little Giant' ladder.
: )
After watching John... Teetering, on an Old Ladder, while building The House...
WE NEEDED THAT 'Little Giant' LADDER!!!
oh dear!!
; )
To Save His Neck...
and
my
HEART...
from
Stopping
while
watching John on The Old Rickety Wooden Ladder!!
YIKES!!
Noticed a while back... somewhere along the line, I'd lost a few of the Diamond chips.
That didn't bother me.
; )
{I've lost a few 'chips'... over the last several decades, too.}
Broke the band, twenty years ago... or so.
Never had it repaired.
That Ring... has been through Hell.
All of the lifting, and lugging.
It was Bent... Beyond.
{again... 'My Kinda Ring'!! : ) }
Loading concrete urns, and statues... took it's toll...
on
The Ring.
It didn't really 'Hit' me... until after I got Home, yesterday, and sat down.
{still... struggling, today. damn it. : ( }
There was so Much... to deal with, yesterday.
While shopping for 'Thanksgiving', oh my...
Going over what I needed, in my head....
made me think of Everyone's 'Favorite' Things,
over my Lifetime, of...
'Holidays'.
What... Dad, used to like. John... used to request, The Kids...
Mom.
<3
So much has changed... over the last many years, concerning 'Holidays'.
Guess... That's 'Life'.
I'm... not very good, with
'Change'.
Never have been.
but...
Ya Figure it out...
and
make it work.
<3
I'm cooking a Turkey, to have all of the drippings, and giblets...
to make
Gravy...
and,
The World's Best Stuffing!!
; )
Making Fresh... Cranberry Relish.
: )
Sinful... Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
: )
Dill Pickle Dip...
maybe...
maybe,
a
Pie, or two.
; )
then,
heading to Son, Justin's, with all of it, on Thanksgiving.
<3
Christy, and Justin... will have Quite a Spread, I'm Sure!!
Both...
are
Incredible Cooks!!
: )
I'm keeping a Close Eye... out for The Garnet.
It's like looking for a Needle in a Haystack, around Home.
; )
Looked for a long time, last night.
oh my.
Humpty Dumpty
will keep 'The Ring', safe... and sound,
{what's left of it.}
for now.
<3
Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.
Barb C.
Thursday, November 20, 2025
Beer for my Horses.
<3
<3
<3
Grandson, Justin.... and I went to The Hiawatha, Iowa...
Estate Sale, {mid December} this morning, moved a little furniture, and... captured a few images.
Ran across this Cool Budweiser revolving light/clock.
: )
The Home... is very Nice, and Clean.
The Garage is FULL!!
Bill's gonna be Busy!!
There's Load's of Good 'Household', and Furnishings!!
We then... enjoyed lunch, and visited.
; )
Justin filled me in on Romeo's latest antics.
That Horse!!
<3
He's Quite The Character!!
; )
He gets into Everything!!
Chases the Chickens...
Romeo, and Gizmo,
{German Shepherd}
are Constantly Goofin' Off!!
First... Romeo chases Gizzy, then...
Gizzy Chases Romeo!!
Hahahahaha!!!
Fairly certain, I've written about this before...
but,
it cracks me up... every time I think about it.
The Kid's had just returned Home, from getting groceries... one Saturday,
they'd carried everything inside, but two cases of beer, that were sitting on the tailgate of the Truck.
When they went to grab them,
Romeo...
had cans strewn all over the yard.
Empty Cans.
; )
Romeo chomped on each can... and Slurped the Beer out of them.
; )
Crazy Horse!!
; )
{and to Think... Romeo came from an Amish Farm!!}
Hahahahaha!!!
Old Romeo... is Livin' The Dream, Now!!
: )
No more pullin' a
Manure Spreader!!
<3
Justin spends a Lot of Time... with Romeo, and Gizzy.
<3
He's Livin' The Dream...
Too.
Grateful.
Wish Every Kid...
could.
Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.
Barb C.
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
What do I... know.
<3
The 'Rest' of The Story.
Received a call from a Neighbor, a couple of weeks ago.
He asked me... if I would do him a favor.
Fairfax, Iowa... has been in a Huge Battle,
concerning a Power Plant, that wanted to come to Fairfax.
That... had MANY.... very, very... upset, in our Community.
Some Folk's had drafted an ad, to be placed in Fairfax's Newsletter, that's put out by City Hall.
The Neighbor, asked me if I would submit it.
The deadline, was 3:00 that day.
Asked him why he, or others didn't want to place the ad.
His reply... made me so sad.
: (
The Neighbor told me, that previous visits to City Hall,
usually ended badly, and the ad probably would be turned away.
: (
Asked the Neighbor... to read the ad, to me.
Sounded Good, well written, so...
sure,
I, too... agreed with the ad 100%.
Went to City Hall... wrote out the check, for the ad...
then,
was told I couldn't run the ad.
???
Seems, according to the Folk's... who asked me, and should know...
the
'Ordinance'
a new ordinance was recently added, but...
the way it had been written, isn't what the Council had quite intended.
???
The Clerk, said... as I was leaving City Hall...
she was sorry, I had to 'waste a check'.
{bless her heart}
; )
I... turned to her, and said...
"Not sure... it's 'wasted', just yet, and... You may see me again, today."
; )
Met with the Concerned Citizens,
showed them the
'Ordinances', the Clerk provided me with.
It was then...
something
'Moved Me'.
; )
Got a Wild Hair... to Run for City Council!!
Yep!!
I became a 'Write In' Candidate.
; )
Seems the new ordinance, the way it was 'written'
would allow a 'Candidate' to run, such an ad...
the Concerned Citizens drafted, and...
I supported.
; )
That Check...
wasn't
'wasted',
after all.
; )
Above... is the ad.
Might need a magnifying glass to read the fine... print.
Lord, Lord!!!
All Hell Broke Loose, at City Hall, that afternoon, I was told.
: (
Seems the Council, and Mayor were notified by The Clerk, moments...
after
the ad was 'accepted'.
oh... my.
{Seems, it's true... 'Word Travels Fast... in a small town'.}
Yes... the November, 10... Fairfax, Iowa...
City Council Meeting,
was quite interesting.
Councilman Daly... wasn't happy.
: (
'No More Loopholes.'
I'm All... For That!!
; )
The sad thing, is... many, at City Hall, blamed Mayor Beer, for being
'Behind' this.
Not SO.
Mayor Beer, nor Anyone Running for Council, had Any Knowledge of the ad.
It was a Large Group of Concerned Citizens, who... were Worried Sick, about this election.
: (
and, sadly... intimidated by
'City Hall'.
: (
I posted The City of Fairfax, Iowa...
11/10/25
YouTube video...
below, last night.
Watch it, if you wish.
; )
There were several interesting comments.
One, I thought was Quite Interesting.
Councilman Daly... was very upset by the money Fairfax is spending for
Legal Advice.
{Trust me... Fairfax Needs Legal Advice}
then,
he said....
he was going against, Fairfax's Lawyer's advice, that We, The Tax Payers, Paid For!!
Perhaps, Councilman Daly... is more versed on The Rule of Law...
than
Fairfax's Lawyer...
is.
???
It's been my personal experience,
a
Great Lawyer, is Worth Their Weight in Gold.
In my humble opinion...
Fairfax, should have their Lawyer, at Every City Council Meeting,
like they used to.
Guessin' that Lawyer...
could've Saved Fairfax, and Her People...
a
Lot of Money, and Heartache.
but...
what do I know.
Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.
Barb C.
{Had to run to Cedar Rapids, this afternoon.
When I started Jethro,
'Tell Me Somethin' Good'
was
Blasting Through Jethro's Speakers!!
<3 <3 <3
Haven't Heard That Tune...
Forever!!
; )
Had to Post It... above. ; ) }
<3 <3 <3
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Wahr. {aka 'wire'}
I've often written about how much I Love...
'The Boys from South of 80'
Interstate 80, in Iowa.
; )
There's a cutoff line, in Iowa...
where North slips into South.
; )
There's a Southern Drawl... that I've always noticed,
that starts, just South of 80.
; )
Dad... was born, and raised in Derby, Iowa... which is very Southern Iowa.
Dad, and Brother, Sonny... spent many years in Millersburg, Iowa.
{Sonny, spent his entire life, in Millersburg, which... is just South, of 80.}
If you watch The Andy Griffith Show, 'that'... is how Rural Southern Iowa...
'South of 80'... Folks, speak.
<3
{to my ears}
: )
Oil...
is pronounced
'Ol'
Wire...
is pronounced
'Wahr'.
<3
I'm not pickin' on Anyone.
Love That Southern Iowa...
Slang.
<3
It's funny, when we'd go to Nashville...
I'd slip right into the Southern Drawl.
It was so easy.
Not so much... for Daughter, Liz.
I remember Servers, at restaurants in Nashville, getting such a Kick... out of Liz.
: )
They'd ask her to say the word
'Hamburger', over and over.
: ) : ) : )
Teasing her 'Northern Drawl'...
Yankee Accent!!!
Hahahahahaha!!!
I Raised That 'Yankee'!!
: )
yet,
nobody in the South, ever questioned me.
; )
possibly, because...
I can slip so easily...
into
'South'.
<3
Mom, was very Northern Iowa.
{Garner, and Mason City.}
guess...
that makes me...
'Iowa Bilingual'.
Hahahahahaha!!!
; )
I remember the Server's saying...
"You don't sound 'Yankee'...
but
She Sure Does!!!"
Hahahahaha!!!
<3
Poor Liz.
<3
; )
Above...
is an image of
'Wahr'.
: )
Being raised by my Dad... well, he taught me to Never Leave Home, without a
Roll of 'Wahr'.
<3
Wire... can patch, 'pull' most anything together, in a pinch.
: )
Again, just after crossing the Iowa/Missouri Line, heading for Nashville...
The FUSO's exhaust fell apart.
{Sh!t}
: (
I jumped out... rolled up The FUSO's back door, grabbed a roll of electric fence wire, slid under
The FUSO,
and...
wired up that exhaust.
; )
Not a pretty job, it was COLD!!!
but,
it held, until we returned Home, from Nashville.
; )
Pal, Wanda... was riding with.
She was So Worried.
<3
I was Grateful...
for that
'Roll of 'Wahr'.
; )
Love to Ya...
Prayers for All.
Barb C.
Monday, November 17, 2025
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