"88" finds a Home!

My Mom, Mary, road back to Jefferson City with me last Thursday and stayed through the weekend.  We had a lot of fun!  The first night Clarissa came down from Columbia and met us later in the evening.  I showed them some Jefferson City evening lights and "prison bars".  We grabbed some nachos at a local restaurant called Prison Brews which is named after the prison just a block away.  You can actually tour the prison during the day or night.

We then went to High Street which is the main drag through the downtown area.  On Thursdays the streets are blocked off and they usually have a band for entertainment.  People are crawling up and down the streets and it gets kinda crowded.  We arrived after the band had shut down and Mom looked for some  Karaoke, but none to found tonight.  I then took them to Munichburg Tavern which is a new tap house in the heart of what some might say is a miniature German Town.  They have their own Bolche Ball court.  It got late really fast so we woofed down our order of hand dipped mushrooms and back for night night!

Mom and I went to several flea/antique markets on Saturday up and down Hwy 54 and Interstate 70.  This is where she found "88" who I think should have the middle name of "wooffer".  She named him that first and then changed it in memory of her "#88" that was her turtle in the races at church who ran away.  Question....how does a turtle run away and never be seen?  I think that my Mom is the cutest sitting here with a life long friend, one that won't run away!  I wonder if she will paint #88 on his back?

It was great having you visit Mom and I hope to have you ride home with me again or just drive up for the week.  There is plenty of material to work up!  Love you!

River Girl!

Ella loves the water and it appears that she isn't afraid of larger bodies of water than her kiddie pool. Katy posted this picture on FB and her caption was...I think we are in trouble, Ella likes the river.

Katy and Dustin's home is very near the river. I see many trips in their future to kick around the rocks and splash! Good thing they both were raised going to the river and they like hanging out there even now as grownups. Dustin used to search for crawdads and dig in rocks all day when I would take him. It was great as I would pop myself half in and half out of the water and just relax and watch.

My friend in the kitchen is approaching "Antique" status!

This morning while I was measuring flour, baking soda and oatmeal to make my husbands favorite Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies I reflected on the life that me and my Kitchen Aid mixer have seen.

I think back to what originally spurred me to make the investment purchase in the first place.  I have been volunteered to make my baby sister's wedding cake!  My Mother said that she would pay for Cake Decorating Classes at OTC if I would make the wedding cake, so off I went.  After several classes and trying to make my decorator icing at home with a hand held beater it became apparent that I NEEDED a Kitchen Aid mixer of my own at home.  This was truly an investment and large spend back in 1988 as it was over $175.00!  With two children under the age of 5 and working part time, money was tight.  I did make that mixer pay off during the next few years of making custom birthday, graduation and anniversary cakes.

My mixer has stood by me throughout the years and NEVER a problem with any part of it for over 24 years!  It tickled me to think of what a great purchase it has been since the style has not ever changed and it looks just like the new off white ones!  I love that all the younger gals I know now wisheth for a Kitchen Aid mixer but now the question is....What Color!  I have actually seen "skins" for them on Pintrest, in which I love because I can "remodel" my kitchen companion without the rejection of replacing her.  Here is a picture of what her daughter might look like now.  Click on the picture to view the going purchase price at Kohl's.  I love to shop Kohl's coupon specials and think that you could even get a better price using their 15% off or Kohl's cash!

Let me count the ways and yummy goodies that have come from my kitchen companion!  I love that it will do all the stirring for me while I multi-task around the kitchen.  It also is the ONLY mixer that will handle the motor demands of decorator icing and stiff cookie dough.  It will whip up some light and lovely whipped cream too!  I have used the dough hook for cinnamon rolls and bread a few times and loved it too.

I also decided that my kitchen companion has missed out on a formal name from me all these years.  I am looking for suggestions.......do you have any?  We have put out many wedding cakes, cookies, and deserts.  Here is her picture too, isn't she a beauty still?

Ella, The Water Bug

It's hard to imagine that our Ella is over a year old and into her second summer on earth!  I get the privilege to send time with her when Katy gets some "Mommy" time away. 


Ella and I play, rock, eat and yes, she sleeps and this time it was for 3 hours!  Katy got her a new pool to play in and I got her a little play swimsuit that she could wear since hers was a little too short in the ka-poot!  After her long nap, we suited her up for some major water play.  First off was this great big smile!

She was just so fun to watch and laugh with.  She totally was in tune with every noise that nature supplied around her....birds flying over, cows mooing, and the dogs trying to join her water fun.

In her own little world she is the expression QUEEN!  Everything produces the "surprised look" that she is famous for complete with the sucking in of air!  She conducted a symphony, Mooed at the cows, insisted on playing with NeeNee's flipflops, holding the toy saxophone as a telephone and invited me to play the sunglasses game...put them on her, she takes them off!

Many more days of fun ahead with this precious, entertaining and sweetness of a grand daughter of mine!  Love you bunches Ella!

Branson Scrap

My annual retreat with girl friends to Branson for the weekend.  We pretty much just hold up in the conference room from Friday to Sunday except to grab a couple of meals and a Starbuck or two.  This year was no exception!  This year I worked mainly on Christmas by finishing a couple of mini books and a couple of double page layouts.  This one is just at the starting stage.  Becky and I decided to do layouts similar in sketch but with our own papers.  I love the red/off-white and light blue together.

 The pictures are of Mark's family Christmas Eve at his parent's house.  

And...I finally finished our honeymoon album!  Oh the memories!  And now the dread of putting on my swimsuit knowing that I have gained lbs. mucho since these pictures!  Poor guy is gonna think???  What happened in a year!

When we called roll in Branson we found that Susan, Becky, Julie and Barb all made it this year!  It was so much fun getting to catch up and spend time with my friends.  Missed you Lexi!