As Time Goes By.....

November - Tday

2011-12-06T12:47:00.008-06:00

* * * * * * *

Where to begin.....

Thanksgiving was great .. Lots of good food and good company.

Jack was a happy camper because his Pa made 2 ,

count them2 smelly hams -

and Jack will now tell you they are also called smoked hams.

* * * * * * * * *

Hester Christmas Tree

November 2011

* * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * *

Pa, Jack & Sally

time to put the puzzle together

* * * * * *

Serena Modeling Tom's Shoes

(she has her slippers on inside of these shoes )

*********************************

Day after T- day went to The Shedd Aquarium..

Thanks Serena !!

The place was packed - but it was still a good time.

I was exhausted when we got back to the house .

***

Jack at Shedd Aquarium

November 2011

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Sally & Jack

Sears Tower in background)

* * * * *

xoxoxoxox

Looking at jellies from the underside

* ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ *

The Beluga whale during the show

* * *

Santa flew in to see the show.

He was in a red & green row boat

* * * * * * * * *

The chair rail tiles at the aquarium

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The center dome

* * * * *

When Jack was asked if he could see the orange fish,
he asked

Do you mean the one that looks like a Dorito??

***************

All I could think of was a steamer and lemons
But the legs really are scrawny aren't they??

I was a little disappointed in the aquarium.. I think the one in

New Orleans is so much better .

* * * * * *

We had tickets to go see the play "ANN"

a one woman show by Holland Taylor .

Great Seats ( Thanks Rosie and Holland)

The play made us laugh and made us cry

Have I told you how much I miss the city????

* *

After the show we walked to the Christkindlemarket

in Daley Plaza.

My first view of the Picasso in 28 years almost made me cry.

* * *

The people , the smell of the Christmas candies and

fruits being baked .

OMG, I was in heaven.

* * * * * * *

Beer Steins at

Christkindlemarket

Chicago, IL

* * * * * * *

******************

Picasso at Daley Plaza

****************

So Me, Tom & Jack went to bed and Jack says,

"Hey nobody read me a book".

I told him we were going to take turns

building a story.

Jack starts out, Once upon a time there was a little boy

named Jack and then it was Pa's turn , then my turn .One of Jacks

sentences was "There was a Princess named Serena who loved to sing,but

she forgot the words and would just call out CaCaww.".

Well we lost it ..

Serena comes in because we are laughing so hard. She is standing

in the bedroom doorway asking what is going on and Jack has

his hand shaped like he has a puppet and every time she said something

that hand was moving like a mouth. She did not see it ,,

Me & Tom are roaring as she leaves the room and Jack says

"I have always wanted to do that",

and that set us off AGAIN !!

Then things are settling down and Jack says

"ha ha I farted"

(This kid could win a Gold Medal in Farting)

So Tom rips a man size one and I had to leave the room

because the fart monsters were loose.

The next morning when Jack got up , he is somewhat snuggling

with Serena and asks her ( with a straight face) if she would like

to hear the Princess Serena song..

She says - I would love to and he turns around and screeches

CaCawwww.

The kid has great comedic timing !!!

* * * * * * * *

Then it was time to head back to Arkansas.

I can never call AR home .

************************

The lovely storm we went thru coming home from Chicago

November 2011

2011-11-20T16:49:00.002-06:00

I went to Chicago this month.

While I was there we took Jack to a magic show at the library .
* * * *

As you can see, he really liked the magic

*************

Handsome Jack (surrounded by blondes as usual)

* * * * * * *

Look at the size of that Magic Bunny in the background !!

* * * * * * *

Then on the 15th , we had tickets to the Rosie Show.

Had breakfast at LePeep, then off to the Oprah Studio

* * * * * *

Not much time for pictures once we got inside ,

but I did manage to get one of Teresa & Serena.

It was a great show and we each got 2 tickets to go see

"Ann" starring Holland Taylor.

Then we were off to R.J. Grunts for an early dinner,
but not before we were hysterical with laughter.

PLUS Serena ended up going the wrong way on a 1 way street.

I thought I'd need clean underwear.. We all know I am

not a good passenger. O M G !!!

Magic words of the day were -- Cacaaawwww

and Snoobie. ( Long Story)

By the time we got home I had a head ache and a

stomach ache from laughing.

It was a great day with great friends

* * * * * * * * **

A boy and his dog

Bodie is NOT allowed on the bed.

But he was willing to get in trouble to be with his boy

* ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^

* * * * * *

Happy Thanksgiving to all !!!

Captain Jack Sparrow and his buccaneers

2011-11-01T07:11:00.000-05:00

October 31, 2011

2011-09-08T10:25:00.001-05:00

On the way home from Ohio-

I kept seeing these

Black Barns.

So I looked it up.. They are painted with

creosote so they will draw more heat to

cure the tobacco hanging in the barns .

***********************

* * * * * * * *

Spent a day in Amish country.

Good wine & cheese in this place ..

<> <> <> <> <>

Meet Tess

The queen of the house.

This is Bob & Linda's baby girl

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Bob McFarren - Tom Cross - Linda McFarren

We are getting ready to play cards .

I LOVE playing cards

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

This is all for now -- Must get back to the fun stuff.

make the bed , mop the floors, do the laundry

Just put a tourniquet on my neck will ya ???

Hobby???

2011-09-07T15:39:00.003-05:00

Robin makes this type of cement leaf , so after talking to her

and seeing the beautiful ones she makes,

we thought we would give it a try .

**********************************

Same leaf - after painting .

Yes we need to practice

a bunch more !

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

We will be using them as

bird baths or bird feeders.

<><><> <> <> <><><>

More from August

2011-09-02T13:08:00.001-05:00

Jack & Serena & John went to

Connecticut this summer .

Jack got to do a lot of fun things with his cousins

India & Ella.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Captain Jack

* * * * * * * * *

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

* * * * * * * * * * *

I lost my 1st tooth while on vacation..

Mom searched and searched and found it in the

bed. So we took it home so the Tooth Fairy

would come to get it .

* * * * * *

More fun with my cousins !!!

India & Ella live very far away. They

live in Viet Nam, but they come to CT.

every summer for vacation. I hope we can go

visit them again next year . we had so much fun and

we got to go to the beach and the aquarium and so much more .

My nona was there too.

August 2011 A day at the beach

2011-08-04T22:43:00.000-05:00

Serena is at work, so the boys took off

for Indiana..

* * * * * * *

Our water baby.

Jack loves the water and so does his dog ,

* * * * * *

He looks so grown up here.

John said he stayed in the water for 4 hours !!!

Just another day at the beach

SURPRISE!!!

These will be in random order.

I have had 3 painkillers since slicing my finger

on the food processor blade this afternoon.

Soaked thru 2 papertowels and 5 band aids before

it stopped bleeding ..

Bad week already-- went to the foot doctor yesterday.

Have scar tissue from the surgey in May.

Sooo let shoot some cortisone in there to help get rid of it .

There was lots of Mothering going on and NONE

of it was very maternal sounding. WTF -- They stuff hurst.

Today went to yet another doctor .. My sinuses are like

raw meat from all of this scorching weather .. She said

she has been seeing a lot of this the past week. Oh Joy-- Now I am comon Lik eveybody else.. WTF

Oops-- I forgot to add the pictures.. Let me try to do this now .

Books I have read

2011-07-31T12:18:00.003-05:00

I am doing this , so I don't keep getting the same books from the library

April 2010
received an Advance Readers Copy of "STILL MISSING" by Chevy Stevens
Watch for new books by her.. this was a good read.

Brown, Sandra
Hello darkness

*****************
The Secret......................................Byrne, Rhonda ( thanks Bob & Linda)
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Cannell, Stephen J.
Hollywood Tough
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Child, Lee
Running Blind -- ( find more )

Corben, Harlan - need to get more of his
Caught
Play Dead

+ + + + + + + + +
Cornwell, Patricia
The Front
* * * * * * * * *
Coulter, Catherine
Double take

= = = = = = = = = = = = =

Cresswell, Jasmine ( romantic suspense-- soso)
The Third Wife

= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Dully, Howard - ****
My Lobotomy

__________________________
Evanovich, Janet
Series - 1 thru 7
Hard Eight
To The Nines
Ten Big Ones
Eleven on Top
Twelve Sharp
Metro Girl ( not one of my favorites)
Lean Mean Thirteen
Plum Lovin'- really bad -No *
Plum Lucky - *
Plum Spooky-- not her best by a long shot - *
Fearless Fourteen - they keep getting worse
Finger lickin' Fifteen-- boring
Smoking Seventeen - going to pass on the next one

================================
Finder, Joseph - ( good one)
High Crimes

**********
Evans, Nicholas
The Divide

********************
Gardner, Lisa
Hide..
Absolute Fear
Alone
The Other Daughter
*****************************

Grisham. John
King of Torts -- not his best
----------------------------------

Hart, John
Iron House -- Great book!!!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
J.A. Jance
Breach of Duty
Damage Control
Day of The Dead
Dead Wrong
Desert Heat
Devils Claw
Edge of Evil
Fatal Error
Hand of Evil
Hour of the Hunter
Kiss of The Bees
Lying In Wait
Partner in Crime
Without Due Process
Tombstone Courage
Trial by Fury
*******************************

HOAG, TAMI
NO MORE OF THESE ..

Kellerman, Faye
The Burnt House

<><><><><><><><><>

Konrath, Joe
Bloody Mary
Whiskey Sour
* ** * * * *
Koontz, Dean:
The Husband -- good story line - but damn- this guy must get paid by the word.

***********************
Krentz, Jane Anne
Sizzle & Burn

Locke, John
A girl like you
* * * *
Lutz,Lisa
The Spellman Files-- I got thru the 1st chapter and I was over this one
---------------------------------------
Meyer, Stephanie (Thanks Serena)
Twilight-- Thanks Serena

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
O'Shaughnessey, Peri

Case of Lies
Keeper of The keys
Unlucky in Law
<><><><>

Patterson, James
Mary,Mary
Youve been warned
Alex Cross's Trial
Swimsuit
<><><><><>

Patterson, Ridley
Killer Weekend
**************

Persons, Terri
Blindspot
***************
Phelps, M. William
Cruel Death
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Prescott, Michael
Mortal Pursuit-- need to find more of his books

<><><><><><><><><>
Robb, J.D. (Nora Roberts)
Strangers in Death
Imitation in Death
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sanford ,John(on tape)
Phantom Prey
<><><><><><><>
Stevens, Chevy
Never Knowing -- FANTASTIC !!!

Tardif, Cheryl Kaye
Whale Song - great read
**************************

Oceans and Beaches ....................Trevor Day ( not what I expected -
.won't make that mistake again)
Way Down Dead In Dixie............. Caroline Cousins(not a fav)
White,J.P....................... Every Boat Turns South (awful)

18 Seconds ....................................George Shuman
The Book of Stones...................... Robert Simmons
Healing Crystals.......................... Cassandra Eason

Jellystone Park in Van Buren Missouri

2011-06-19T14:05:00.010-05:00

Jellystone Park Campground

Van Buren, MO

June 2011

* * * * * *

( Just so you know - you can
click on any of the pictures and make them
B I G G E R )

This is our family vaction for 2011

Maa & Pa have a camper trailer

that is big enough for all of us ,

Yes, that means Bodie too
<> <> <> <> <>

This is ME, Jack, my dog Bodie

and the best Pa in the whole wide world.

* * * * * * * * * *

One morning we went up to the flag pole to help
Yogi raise the flag and say the
Pledge of Allegiance.
I got to help Yogi that day .
I was soooo proud.
Then we had a biscuit throwing contest.
I won in my age division and got a GOLD MEDAL.
(But Bodie ate my biscuit after I threw it,
crazy dang dog - but I love him)

++++++++++++++++++++

This is me and my Mom.

We were waiting for the ladies to show

up and show us how to tie dye a t-shirt for me.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

My Dad bought a canoe , but he forgot to get a life jacket

for Mom . I had one so I was good to go.

If you click on the picture , you can see Bodie in the canoe.

This is on the Current River, but it was

not such a great canoe trip.. It started raining,

and my Maa kept saying something about she was a giant

lightening rod out there in the river.

Something about metal in her body.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

When we got to the park, Priscilla gave my Maa a
bag of sand and said there were "treasures" in it.

So one day , me & Maa & Pa went up
to what they called a "panning" place ,
even tho there were no pans .
It was a box with a screen in the bottom.
You pour some of the sand and then shake it
around in the water and ya know what ??

You find DIAMONDS and gold and green and blue stones

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

When we were sitting in camp, this is what we
saw all the time
*******

Oops-- more "mining pictures"

_______________________________________

_________________________

The whole family , yes Bodie too

went up by the Ranger Station and they were having a

BB gun shooting contest.

I got to shoot a couple of times and I got a medal !!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Waiting for the shooting to begin we
decided to play at the park for a while

Most of the guys sitting at the table with me

were staying right in the next campsite.

We played a lot !!

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Let The Games Begin !!!!

This is me !!!

My Maa & Pa say Mom is a really good shot , so I

must have got that from her.
This is sooooooooooo much fun !!!

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

* * * * * *

Darn, It is time to go home ,

BUT Maa & Pa said we could do this again !!

What is this ???

This BIG UGLY bug was on my Dad's shoe .

Oh I almost forgot .. Here is the

shirt I made

It is really cool!!

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

My Maa really like the way this tree looked

* * * * * * * * * * *

Here is my Mom cooking outside .

this house on wheels is cool

TV, DVD, outside speaker,

a fridge to keep my maa juice cold

and the table turns into a bed for my Dad to sleep on

and me and Mom slept on a couch that bent in half and

turned into a bed . Can you believe it ?!?!?!

Bodie slept on the floor by my Maa's side

of the bed.

Mom kept saying something about a

Bodie whisperer.. I don't get it ?!?!
-----------------------------

My Maa is sooo proud of this picture.

She says now she can prove that Pa had a day that

he did not have to do anything except relax.

+ + + + + + + +

Hey, here is me and my Dad in the canoe.

I hope that is not an alligator in the water !!!!

***********

I just love this dang dog !!

* * * * * * * *

Bed time and my GG Bernice made this

pillowcase for me !!! I LOVE it

{ * } { } { } { * }

ME and Dad in the canoe again

******************************

OMG-- Yogi and me on a HEY RIDE !!

Can you believe it ????

We ride around the camp and say

HEY to all the campers..

One night Ranger Jeff did a special shout to

my Maa when we drove by our camp.. She was sooo surprised !!

I had lots of fun with the people that live at JellyStone

Thanks

Priscilla & Jeff

and

Neil & Lillie

and especially to my

new friend from China

Jing Ning .

and last but not least

Y O G I !!

I love you YOGI !!

* * * * *

Here I am waiting for another HEY RIDE !!

I love these things !!!
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

My dad, setting up a little tent for

me to play in.

Who is kidding ? We have an

air conditioned house on wheels !!

<> <> <> <>

I cannot wait until our NEXT camping trip !!!

May / June 2011

2011-06-16T17:13:00.000-05:00

Yes, it has been awhile since I have added anything to the blog.

* * * *

Where to begin???

<><><><>

How about the fact that I had surgery on

both feet on May 4th and I am still trying to get over that ??

Being completely off of my feet for 3 weeks was

a major pain in the ass.

* * * * *

My BFF Teresa's husband Marty died on May 5th .

He always has to one - up me

Some things never change.

She is doing okay considering that they had a 40+ year

history and for the past 2 she has been a full time care giver to him

He was in so much pain,that it was really time

for him to pass.

Nobody deserves to be in that much pain

for any reason.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Jack graduated from Pre- School and will

be going to kindergarten in Sept.

He will be in school all day. Serena will not

know what to do with so much extra time ..

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Time for me to begin foraging for

the evening meal, and must

also finish sculpting the Trevi Fountain in the dust

that has acumulated in the house.

2011-04-11T12:14:00.007-05:00

We are home from our test run with the camper

* * * * *

One problem with the drain lines- so she will be

going in for repairs in the next week or 10 days .

* * * *

Weather was perfect- in the 80's and no rain.

We had a perfect location campsite

<> <> <> <> <>

I like old trees and thought this was so pretty with the

vines wrapped atound it .^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Tom drove me down to the rivers edge

and we took chairs and sat with our feet in the

water and did nothing but watch

the kayakers and swimmers.

YEs, Tom can sit and

"DO NOTHING"

but not for long

I like the way these bluffs look This was taken up by the hilltop restaurant ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Our camper was sitting approximately

where the "X" is ..

Click on the photos to enlarge them.

----------------------------------------------

I would love to have a house up here..

---------------

Another trip to the river

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

A different view of the bluffs

<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>

Halona waiting for us to return.

I have named her Halona- it means

"FORTUNATE"

(The name came from suggestions of

FaceBook friends)

*** *** *** *** ***

Looking towards the back of our campsite

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Yes, that is the river behind

our camper. It is a pretty steeep

climb down to get to the river.

<<<<>>>><<<<>>>>

This tree has a lot of character

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Getting ready to go home

-----------------------

I am always amazed with the trees that

grow out of a sheer rock wall

------

Just another observation area<><><><><><>

Now for interesting things..

Driving to the camp area, we drove thru a bump in the

road called Mayflower.

There is a yard with a trampoline, and a heavy

plastic pool ladder for the kids to get on the trampoline.

Nothing unusual about that, BUT the

GOAT

walking up the ladder and getting on the trampoline is

another thing ..

<><><><>

Go ahead , admit it ,

you had a visual of the goat jumping up & down..

No such luck , he walked a couple of steps and laid down

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

While we were down by the river,

(I forgot my camera AGAIN)

there was a guy walking a yearling

deer.. Had a rope on him like a leash and they

were walking along the river.

April 2011

2011-04-04T08:48:00.008-05:00

Yesterday started off gray & gloomy

By the time we had breakfast and got to Mount Ida, the

sun was shining and it turned out to be a beautiful day,

UNTIL we got to the top of the mountain.

Wind was gusting so hard that you could not hear

somebody talking if they were more tha 3 feet from you.

***********************

This is one of the clusters that Tom found .

I am not able to navigate the steep hillsides so my

digging was very limited.

<><><><><><><><><>

This is a smaller cluster he unearthed.

And I mean it meant some heavy duty digging

while doing an impersonation of a

mountain goat.

**************************

We have a small bucket of smaller crystals,

MUCH SMALLER - pretty to look at

but useless for jewelry making.

They do look very beautiful in a class dish on the table .

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^

I thought this was pretty.

An old family church or a small community church.

The way a church should be -not like the ones they build

now that look like they could double for casinos. **************************

Side view of same church **************

************************* OKAY-- I know the pictures are out of order.. All I had for breakfast was coffee and a pain killer This is the large cluster Tom managed to pry from the earth. It is beautiful !!! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ It was 87 degrees yesterday Today I woke up to lightening , thunder and rain ..

Gonna be a goooood year

2011-01-28T19:24:00.006-06:00

My Mom & Dad took me to a place to ice skate .

Did you know my dad was a hockey guy when

he was a kid ???

Neither did I !!!

****************************

What the --?!?!
How did I get down here???^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is tooo much fun !!!

<><><><><><><><>

This is getting easier.
Soon I'll be skating like my Dad

*******************
Well maybe not so soon ....

<><><><><>

Thanks Dad,

I thought I was going down again

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Heading back for another try

***********************

I'm loving this !!!

<><><><><><><>

We are done for today

but they have not seen the last of me !!

I like this skating stuff

Thanks for the skates Dad!!!

Yes, I am 5 now

and it is going to be a great year ,

1st- I get a puppy and

then I learn to skate .

WHAT NEXT ?!?!?!

* * * * * * * * *
My Game Face...

A boy and his pup pup

2011-01-26T08:43:00.005-06:00

Here are me and my pup pup

He is telling me secrets

********************

I LOVE thIS PUP
***********************

My Maa thinks we are both just

Tooo Cute !!!

*******************

****************************

Bodie being bored

******************

Where is Jack, I need

sombody to chew on

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jack explaining Batman to Bodie

A guy has to know this stuff!!

<><><><><><><><><>

It won't be long before

Bodie will be in the tub.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
YEp, I wore him out !!!

* * * * * * * * * *

Bodie loves the Scooby slipper

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It has been a long day,

I need to rest

Thanks to John for getting these

pictures to us !!

******************

I'll be posting more later today

or maybe tomorrow

Presenting .....

2011-01-18T11:43:00.008-06:00

Bodie and his boy Jack * * * * *

and the wrestling match in ON

*******************

I tired to explain that teaching a puppy to walk
on a leash is like trying to shoot pool with a rope ,
but they will figure it out .

**************

this is one of the toys that Jack
picked out for Bodie ,, This one
is his favorite.

*#&^$ another TYPO-- his name is B O D I E

*******************
Bodie took his first ride in an airplane yesterday and
he did GREAT !!

*****************
Bodie came from Bryant , Arkaknsas and his
birthday is December 9

Travel Trailer 08Jan2011

2011-01-08T14:32:00.001-06:00

View from the back door.

Yes, this trailer has 2 doors.

Queen size bed

2011-01-08T14:21:00.007-06:00

We are now the proud owners of a 2011 Passport travel trailer

This is some of what we drove thru to get home yesterday.

Long trip

But worth it .

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Of course the truck and camper were covered in deicing materials

that had been sprayed / spread on the roads .

So both had to be washed this morning

<><><><>

This is one of the storage closets , there are 2 more.
One on each side of the bed

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The dining area that will convert to a bed

************************
The fridge and freezer

<><><><><>

Camper sitting in the driveway

**********************

Just to show trim work and colors in camper

********************

Kitchen area

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Sound equipment and TV

We have DVD , CD and outside speaker too

**************

More windows

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
After being washed

Christmas Day 2010

2010-12-30T09:58:00.006-06:00

I cannot believe this boy does not wake up at

5a.m. on Christmas morning

**************

His mother used to wake us up before sunrise !!

Not Fair !!!!

* * * * * * * * *

Pa, Jack & Buddy

* * * * *

Okay, Lets get this started.

* * * *

Let the shredding begin !!!

************

This is Pa's Christmas present from

all of us .

Merry Christmas Pa !!!

( Iwrapped this )
* * ** *

Let's see whats in here..

* * * * * * *

OMG-- I really really wanted this .

I LOVE LEGO's

(This is from my Maa & Pa)

This is the exact airport that I showed to Ma

when we went to Target

*********************
Another big box with my name on it

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I got my Pillow Pet.

Thanks Mom & Dad

I really really wanted this too.

* * * *

Let me show you how to use this

<><>><><><><>

Okay, I HAVE to open this NOW !!!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Me and my Mom sit on a sheet to do this ,

that way she does not lose any of the parts

*********************

Pa with his loaded NERF dart guns ,

Jack trying to slow him down

************************

Pa don't shoot-- That is my Mom

in the kitchen. Really , it is not somebody

trying to steal the cookies.

<><><><><>

My airport is done

More Later

2010-12-29T10:44:00.000-06:00

Before Christmas

2010-12-25T18:56:00.000-06:00

Some of the decorations at our house

before Christmas

* * * * * *

Here are some of my Santas

Yes, that is me and Serena in the background pictures

* * *

More tomorrow

Snow in Chicago

2010-12-21T15:19:00.006-06:00

HEY !! It snowed in Illinois

It snowed A LOT !!!My Mom went working so me and my Dad built

this GI-NORMUS snow man to scare

her when she gets home !!!

Don't ya love his hair ?!?!?!

* * * * * * *

I love the SNOW !!
**************************

Then we built a snow fort.
I think it needs to be B I G G E R !!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * OH NO !!

The doorways don't line up

********************************

Yep, this is me showing you my reindeer antlers

** * * * * *

Christmas is coming soon.

So you better be good people .
*****************

Bye for now ,

Merry Christmas from

Jack and his new buddy

December 2010

2010-12-18T08:35:00.002-06:00

Today we went to see Santa

I took my wish book that my Maa gave me .

That is a book where I paste pictures or Mom writes

down thing that I would like for Santa to bring.

* * * * * * * *

Here is me and my Mom at home

December 2010

( See my BIG smile)

**********************

After my visit with Santa

we were walking around and they had this

jumpee thing .. I thought it looked

like great fun ,so Mom & Dad said

"okay"

* * * * * * ** * * * ** *

What the -- I'm gonna do WHAT ?????

* * * * * * * *
This is way more fun than it sounded during
instruction time !!!!

***************

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOO

**************************

My Maa says I need to practice my smile

a little more..

Serena & Jack

December 2010

Illinois

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

November 2010

2010-11-22T17:38:00.006-06:00

Did you know that Arkansas is the only state

where you can mine for diamonds..

Somebody found a 6 carat one today !

* * * *

So does Tom come home bringing me DIAMONDS???

Oh hell no !!

I get "other " treasures

* * * * * * * *

This is a skull that he brought home this weekend
Isn't this lovely??? NOT !!!

(click on photos to enlarge them)

Here you can really see the teeth on this thing !!
Yikes!!!

* * * * *

And now we know it was a "baby"

****************************************

Tom cleaning up after playing in the mud

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

I picked up some acorns to plant in the back yard.

<><> <><> <><> <><> <><>

This is what I looked at while laying on the 4 wheeler waiting
for him to get done with the FIRE

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Ah yes,, burning brush so the

beavers will move to another farm

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Yes, duck hunters,, be prepared

The swamp is getting dryer and dryer.

Gotta love the swamp drying up

* * * * * *

Thats it for now

BTW--after an ultrasounsd , and a Hidascan with CCK

none of the doctors know why I have been praying to the

porcelain goddess since 11/5.. I lost 12 pounds in

nine days because I cannot keep ANYTHING down.

I am dehydrating and I feel like hell.

I'll keep ya poasted

Michael's Book

2010-11-01T09:46:00.004-05:00

Michaels book will soon be available from Amazon.com

or to save a few $$ it can be ordered from

authorhouse.com( $13.60)

* * * * *

Do a Search for Michael Wellwerts

A Sages Illimination

* * * * * * *

October

2010-10-25T18:29:00.003-05:00

This is the best I can do right now .
I came home from Illinois with the crud

and I am still feeling miserable. When will this go away??

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Fire Pit Seating - Arkansas Style* * * * * *

Meet Mr. Joliet - 2010

<><><><><><><><><><>

Here's The Plan
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Group shot of the Halloween Party

<><><><><><><><><><>

Jack sleeping with his babies

MORE LATER

Canton, Ohio

2010-09-23T10:28:00.002-05:00

After getting Bob & Linda to Canton,

Tom & I decided that is would be a crime if we did not

stop at the Pro Football Hall of Fame

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
What a way to start my day , get out of the truck walk around the
corner and there , larger than life,
SWEETNESS!!!!
aka: Walter Payton
* * * * * * *

I have to say, the bronzes are a little scary looking
* * * * * *

Had to get this one for Serena..

Yes, that is Elway in the background.

These panels tell about the teams, original uniform colors and

so much more .

Very interesting .

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

More photos later

Oh JOY !!!!!

2010-09-22T10:17:00.006-05:00

Oh Joy -What a fun filled action packed day already!!!

**************

I cleaned out the FREEZER

2 bags of Crap !!

(of course since it is still in the 90's

I will have to store these bags in the BIG FREEZER

until next trash pick up day)

* * * *

Frozen burritos that John bought ( use by April 2010), 3 lean cuisine

a bag of talapia from last year, ice crusted Italian sausage that was

buried in the back of the freezer behind the 5 bags of

frozen hash browns and french fries and frozen grapes.

* * * * *

I can not longer eat frozen grapes unless

somebody peels them for me - I don't see that happening.

^ ^ ^

5 half banana popsicles (yes they are melting in

the sink as I type, a package of

something mysterious marked 2006 that

I am not brave enough to open,

<><><><><>

9 freezer packs for in the cooler

and last but not least coffee beans, 3 bags of coffee beans.

I have not had a bean grinder for 3 years .

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

I am keeping the frozen potatoes, Boudain sausage, 4 pounds of bacon,

beef pot roast, peanut butter cups, the frozen veggies and the

strawberries from late spring.

* * * *

Oops, almost forgot to mention the 2 pkgs

of Oscar Mayer hotdogs

and the 200ml

bottle of

Tequila Rose

August

2010-08-28T16:52:00.004-05:00

Yes, That is a McDonald's Happy Meal Box on his head

Serena told me that one day she was going in to the store and

Jack had the Happy meal hat and carrying a hand fan that

is shaped like a tomato

( Has "TOMATO FAN printed on it .)

Can you imagine the look on people faces.

Like their own kids don't do this stuff at home ...

******************

Summer Fun

******************

Jack managed to get the nut off of this wheel

so Pa fixed it back tight after Jack removed it

A guys work is never done

*********************
Time to feed the dogs

Got the food - Now I need to put it in the
dogs bowls

Missing You ....

2010-08-12T13:12:00.006-05:00

You left us August 12,1991

You were way to young to be taken,

and I think of you every day.

Since I seem to be the keeper of all family photos,

I am posting the first few

for memories

*******************************

One of your visits to Colorado

(4 generations)

OF course Serena was not happy,about having to take time

to have this done,Strider decided to run away that day ,

traffic was a bitch coming home from work.

By the time we got to the photo place

I was hot & sweaty , pissed off and ready for a drink .

So were you and Grandma Dorothy

*******************

Christams 1958

Chicago, IL

****************************

You are a bridesmaid at

Uncle Wil's wedding in 1941

* * * * * * * *

**********************

Girls Night Out at the Cow Palace

Ft. Collins, Colorado
(Yes, that is a male stripper)

***************************

Serena & Grandma Hon
Confirmation Day

**************************
You finally got to see Hawaii !!!
I am so glad we made this trip and I will never forget
you getting flipped ass over end
while coming out of the water at Waikiki Beach.
We were all laughing so hard ( once we found out you were okay)
that Ihad tears in my eyes..
I have tears today but for a different reason

* * * * * * * *

****************************

If roses grow in Heaven Lord,

Please pick a bunch for me.

Place them in my Mother's arms

and tell her they are from me.

Tell her that I love her and miss her,

and when she turns to smile ,
Place a kiss on her cheek and

hold her for a while.

Because remembering her is easy,

I do it every day.

But there is an ache in my heart

that will never go away

We went to Memphis yesterday

2010-08-08T15:36:00.006-05:00

We got up yesterday morning and decided to

have a "do nothing " day.

That is a day that you get in the

car and have no set plans -- You just GO

******************

We ended up in Memphis

on Beale Street

*************** ******************

We drove past the Pyramid

and I got this picture .

***************

Kind of hard to see, but this is one

of many statues of Elvis

in and around Memphis. No, we did not go to Graceland .

We did that about 10 years ago , because

even tho Tom grew up so close to Memphis, he had never

been to Graceland .

************************

Looking down Beale Street-

For those that have not been,

the Blues Clubs take up about 2.5 blocks along with restaurants and

junk stores and little store fronts selling frozen drinks.

There were a couple of young kids doing street

tumbling .. They were amazing!!

*****************

Hotel Chisca

Preservationist are trying to save this old hotel.

Tearing down this hotel would be slap in the face of Memphis'

music history and also to Elvis Presley

and Dewey Phillips
Do a search on Hotel Chisca to getthe whole story

******************************

We have no idea what they are planning for this building.
Surprisingly, there people still conducting business
in the ground level storefronts

**************************

If you click on this picture to enlarge it , you will
see the employee sitting on the counter. If somebody needed
a frozen Marg or other spirit of choice , she would hop down ,
pour the drink then hop back up on the counter*****************************
We stopped at BB King's Blues Club for Lunch.
The gentelman in the black hat is 87 years young
and plays in the local blue band.
************************

Another view of the inside of the club

*********************

Missing You

2010-08-06T07:46:00.005-05:00

Hello Marc-- It has been 2 years and I still cannot believe that

you will not be calling me this week. You will

be happy to know that Ian is doing well.

We talk of you often. Also he did a school project:

Jump for Heart in your honor.

This year I will be posting the "SUPERMAN " picture,

but not right now
I need to get thru the morning

I miss those calls from you
I have ONE message on my phone that you left and
I will play it today , just to hear your voice.

**********************************

You were such a good dad and I remember the
call telling me that Ian had arrived .. you were so
happy and proud.

Turtles in July

2010-07-16T13:55:00.004-05:00

Took these last weekend and thought I would share them

Jack riding his zipline thru the backyard .

The boys have to play later in the day when it is not so hot ,

that is why the picture is dark.

**************

BUT

Water balloon fights need to be held during the daytime

(see his stash on the patio chair )

************
One of the Turtles at April's
Turtle Habitat.

She let Jack feed the turtles.
I learned something new today ,
I did not know that turtles would eat hotdogs

Thursday July 15th (I think)

2010-07-15T11:03:00.005-05:00

What a fucked up morning already

Went out , moved all of the hoses , picked up sticks and other

assorted crap from the back yard so I can mow

before it gets to hot.

* * *

Got on the lawn mower-- click, click click...

He JUST put a new battery in it YESTERDAY !!!

I think he did not turn the key all the way to the

off position when he got done testing it last night .

<><><>

So I figure I am already sweating like a whore in church,

I might as well re-fill the humming bird feeders.

Back in the house , make the simple syrup,

re fill the feeder and head out to the Devils steam bath

of a back yard once again.

Take the empty feeder off of the pole and of course it

is not completely empty, so it runs down

my legs and into my shoes.

Went to hang up the newly filled feeder

and dropped it. (#&%%*$&%)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Now I have to go get a bucket and dip water out of the

pool (thatreally needs to be cleaned) carry it back to

the pole and try to disperse the

simple syrup that ran all over the pole ,

down my legs into my shoes again.

I don't need anymore freaking ants this years

As I type I feel like I have careepy carawlies

( That is southern speak )

climbing my legs .. But maybe I just need to shave my

legs, but that is another story.

* * * * *

Okay , now I have 2 sticky , dripping hummingbird feeders

that have been given a quick dunk in the water bucket,

I finish pouring the

water on the patio, once again to TRY to keep the ants away.

Damn I hate living here.

I manage to get the back door open , with my somewhat unsticky hand

and you guessed it .. I stepped into the house and dropped both of the

sticky feeders on the floor.*$&%#($)%.

Now not thinking I put my hand on Tom's chair to

step over the "sticky"

-- DUH--

Now I need to wipe the sticky off of his chair ( very minimal)

* * *

Serena dry wipes the floor and then I go over it with wet cloths .

So how has your morning been????

More July 2010 stuff

2010-07-07T15:07:00.004-05:00

Ashley riding thru the neighborhood.

*****************************************

Tom found these growing in the planters on our front porch

They are bright yellow -- MUSHROOMS???

**************

Yes, there is a bunch of them.

Wonder if they are edible??

ANYBODY have any ideas??

*********************

There ae several of them

*******************************************************
Opps- snapped this while I was trying to sit down
to take pictures of the mushrooms.
July 2010
***************

Serena, John and Jack are in Chicago
I miss my Jackie Blue

*****************

July 2010

2010-07-07T08:41:00.004-05:00

Carol Gordon & Ashley were here for a visit.

We have not seen them for such a long time ,

and it was nice to have the m come for a visit

and share in the 4th of July fun.

*******

They left yesterday and were on their way to Birmingham and other

destinations in the southeast.

Long drive from Colorado , they will be going as far

as TopSail Island. I don't know if I would be doing the

southeast vacation in the heat of summer. But as you all

know, I HATE living in the Devil's Steambath.

* * * * * * * * * *

This is a gift from our visitors.. They have a friend that paints

and they told them where they were visiting and told them

that we are in a rural area and he created this and titled it

"ARKANSAS SUMMER"

This photo does NOT do this painting justice .

This is BEAUTIFUL !!

Thanks to the Durflingers for having this done for us .

We LOVE it !!!

( a little news about the artist- he is colorblind)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Ashley getting her riding instructions from Tom

* * * * * * * * *

Ashley touring the neighborhood.
Gordon did not want her to ride at the farm.
I think she would have been safer on the farm that
on the streets of the subdivision.

She can come back when she is 18 and
ride on the farm and become and official
MUD BUD

** * * * * **

Jack's new adventure

2010-06-22T08:30:00.006-05:00

Yes, I know the pictures are out of order.

- - - - - - - - - - -

It is hot, I am fried so just deal with it .

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Okay , I need to find a new blog site -

this one is really getting on my nerves..

It keeps locking up.

I guess I can start searching for a new one this

afternoon while I am hiding from the hot weather

* * * * * * *

Jack in Colorado

May 2010

* * * * *

Jack at his 1st day of TKD classes

* * * * *

Jack & Pa at Brians farm

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Jack did great.
He is very athletic and has
endless energy.
I think this will be good for him to
learn some control

<^><^><^><^>
Jack got his uniform yesterday , Serena said he

was so proudwhen the instructor tied his ( white- for beginners)belt on

him for the first time.
He was so excited that he wore his uniform to the airport

to pick up Daddy. Poor kid had to be dying with it being over 100 degrees

*******************

More later, I am on a mission today,

I need to go to the bank, then off to the pet store to find something

to spray to keep the dogs off of the grass.

Lately all 3 of them have decided it is okay

to take a dump on the grass.

NOT GONNA PUT UP WITH THIS! !

* * *

After that, I need to find some glass paint ..

I think Plaid brand makes some .

I put lace curtains up in the bathroom and it is like

being in a gold fish bowl, so I

want to paint the windows so they will have that etched look

Summer

2010-06-22T08:28:00.001-05:00

Summer is here and she is a bitch

For the past 3 days heat has been 95+ witha

HEAT INDEX of 106

This is like living in the devils sauna!!!

* * * *

I want out of the oven and I want out N O W !!!

* * * * *

2010-06-11T16:46:00.005-05:00

Tell me why the fuck I even crawled out of bed this morning?!?!?

Where to begin..

1st - Got up very early

just to get myself primed for my yearly smash-o-gram.

Had coffee , showered , got dressed. OF course no

deodorant or hairspray.

Nice -- 90 degree heat and 95% humidity.

* * *

(Keep in mind , I have had a shit week due

to bad weather and my body aching)

* * * * * * * * *

Drove to Bernice's house to deliver her tomatoes.

They are sooooo good

* * * *

Stopped at Michaels , to get a

magic wand . Jack likes magic this week.

Soooo I get my stuff walk out to my truck

No freaking keys - Back into the store

The cashier is standing there waving them at me

WHATEVER
*****

Now off to the smash-o-gram

OF course if you don't get to the surgical center by 7:00AM

(My appointment was for 11:30)

you are not going to get a parking spot even remotely close

to the building. So by the time I get to the building I am

sweating like a thief in church.

1 hour later , I am leaving and hiking back to my truck,

after being pushed , pulled and smashed.

* * * *

So I think I'll stop at Wally World and get the other items

needed to make That Dip.

BIG MISTAKE!!!

* * * * * *

Get an electric shopping cart and off I go like

a stampeding turtle.

Get my food products and a new pair of capris

( in a SMALLER size), then

it is time to head to the deli. I place my order and the cart

starts beeping .. it is D E A D !!!

I tell the deli girl I'll be back and head to the front door

to get ANOTHER cart. I get back to the deli and the cart is screaming

like a hooker that didn't get paid .

Everybody is giving me dirty looks while I unload my stuff from the

beeping cart to the running cart.

People are still giving me "the look". I inform them, it is a

typical Wal-Mart product . I get my things loaded - tell them all

WELCOME TO WAL- MART and proceed to the check out lane.

* * * * *

I learned a long time ago, NEVER get in the shortest line .. That

means one of two things , the checker is really slow or

there is a problem.

<><><><>

to be continued later tonight

Saturday Morning

and the continuing bad day story

************************************************************

In the line ,one woman that is almost checked out , a man with a few

food items and about 30 cans of cat food , then me .

Okay , waiting waiting waiting

First woman- her check was rejected .. She must be a real

paperhanger. That takes 5 or 6 min - to get that straightened out .

She let without her "treasures".

The man has his stuff unloaded and on the conveyor,

and surprise surprise ,

a woman get in line behind me with 2 kids in the cart

and one of them is wailing like a banshee "I WANT IT"

"I WANT OUT" - MOOOOOOOOOM

OMG-- How much more can I take today ????

The guy in front of me swipes his debit card -- NOTHING

Swipes again and the cashier is staring at a wall.

No offer to help this man or offer to run his card

thru the register scanner. If she had a brain she was thinking

"I ams the cashier - I ams not the customer servise"

Yes, I know that rings of profiling --

* * * * * *

Finally it is my turn

Do you know you cannot see a clock from the check out lines??

So "precious" is scanning my stuff and I watch the

read out on my side because Wal-Mart has a bad

habit of shelf saying one thing , price ringing up as

something else.

BINGO!! A $5 T-shirt rang up as $9

WHOA-- take that off- I am not paying that price.

She informs me

"Ya'll gonna haves to go to customer service".

NO-- you can just scan it and take it off of the total.

"No I kent, I done totaled ya'lls order.."

Sooo the rest of the stuff in my order is free??

Whut udder stuff??

I point to about 12 items still on the belt and the

order divider that is BEHIND the balance of my "owdder"

Well I can ring that up separate and then ya'll can go to

customer service to get a refund on the t shirt.

(all this time that kid is screaming like Damien)

* * * *
At that point I lost it.

Get you manager here-- NOW !!!

"Ain't no need for that "

Oh yes there is - because I am about to totally lose it

and it is "a fixing to get ugly"

(That way she could understand I was serious)

* * * * *

She send another slow moving employee to "fetch " a CSM

The CSM shows up and I explain to her what is going on --

so she does her stuff with the keys and the register

and tells the cashier to finish the order.

STOP RIGHT THERE

I am not going to go thru this again

- you better find somebody else to finish this order.

Finally , I am checked out and on my way home

or so I thought .

* * * * *

Time to get more coffee and do a few things around here,

I'll finish this later

2010-05-18T09:02:00.004-05:00

Tom took this picture

"good job Pa"

* * * * * *

Serena & Jack

<><><><>

Serena & John

* * * * * * * * *
Jack hugging Donald at breakfast

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Entrance to the park

* * * * * * *

------------------------------------------------
This is not the end

Still waiting for pictures that Serena & John took

Keep scrolling !!!!

night time

2010-05-18T08:57:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to post this before I forget:

When we went to MCO airport to pick up Serena ,John and Jack

Jack come running up to the truck,

climbed up on the running board and gave me a big

hug and proceeded to tell me

"Mom got me up on the nighttime"

(They had a 7a.m. flight)

and he was NOT happy about that

Disney World Animal Kingdom - May 2010

2010-05-17T09:09:00.005-05:00

*****************

Jack and his Pa

at the Animal Kingdom

* * * * * * * *

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Vulture

<><><><><>
Brown & White zebra
(possibly a Grevy's ebra)

***************

There will be other pictures later

of ankole cattle, and an ostrich that

pecked John, thinking he might be

food source.

* * * * * * *

After we left the Animal Kingdom, we went to

the CASTLE for the rest of the day.

For those that don't know

Castle is what Jack calls the Magic Kingdom.

What a great day , first the private tour , then a train ride

(monorail) to Magic Kingdom and there was a show going on right in

front of Cinderellas castle as we arrived.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Tree of life at The Animal kingdom

Keep scrolling

Thepage you are reading is Page 2

so if you stop here,

you will miss the photos and

won't know how we got "behind the scenes"

KEEP SCROLLING !!!!!

Animal Kingdom - Orlando Florida

2010-05-17T08:36:00.004-05:00

This will be a long drawn out tale of the trip.

To many photos to post at once

* * * * * *

We had a special treat-- John knew somebody that

got us set up for a behind the scenes tour at

Walt Disney Animal Kingdom

These are some of the photos that we took while waiting

for the tour person to show up

I "think" her name is Mori

* * * * *

Serena & Jack in front of RainForest Cafe

<><><><><><><>

Same place - different pose

* * * * * * * * * * *

This is the necklace that Jack made
( with help from Maa) for his Mom
for mothers day.

I gave him 3 bags of beads and he chose the beads and the
order they went in and then he strung them and I
put a toggle on it ..It took him about 45 min
to make this .

Serena wore it to work and while we were at Disny.

More later today
** * * * * * * **

On a sadder note , my Uncle Dave passed away
while we were in Florida.
He will be cremated

Babies expected

2010-05-01T11:03:00.002-05:00

I have 2 boston Ferns hanging on the front porch

We are not sure what kind of bird is nesting in the fern,

but she has 5 eggs she is sitting on.

We think it is a finch of some kind , but when we approach

the porch she is sooooo fast getting out of there that we cannot really tell.

For Marc, Mom Gram and all the others that are gone

2010-04-19T19:39:00.004-05:00

I wish Heaven had a phone so I could hear your voice again

I thought of you today , but that is nothing new

I thought about you yesterday , and days before that too

I think of you in silence, I often speak your name

All I have are memories and pictures in a frame

Your memory is a keepsake , from which I'll never part

God has you in his arms, I have you in my heart

This is for all my family that I am missing so much.

Today would have been Marc's 37th birthday

Happy Birthday Marc, and

yes, Ian did call me today .

It really was a good call for both of us .

cleaning out drawers

2010-04-15T13:18:00.002-05:00

Here is a picture after our last rain storm**********************************************

I was cleaning out a drawer and found these old photos..

thought I would post them for your enjoyment..

* * * * * * * * * *

Taken at Greenbrier, AR

Camp Linda

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Marc & Me

many years ago

* * * * * *

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Easter Egg hunt

2010-04-05T09:18:00.004-05:00

Who ever heard of eggs in a TREE????

<><><><><>
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

<><><><><><><><><><>

Troy

* * * * * * * *

++++++++++++++++++++++

* * * * * * *

SILLY STRING !!!!

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

****************

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

OH NO YOU DON'T

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

<><><><><><><><

() () ()() ()() () ()

**************************

**********************

I'm to fast for all of you

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

* * * * * * *

Now it is time to check out all of

my treasures.

* * * * * * * *

* * * * * * *

I don't know who was having more fun

Korey or Troy

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Happy Easter !!!!

April 1,2010

2010-04-02T09:57:00.006-05:00

Today my Pa is taking us to a friends house and farm.

My Pa says they have horses, chickens AND cows

* * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * *

* * * * * *

Here is me and Mom and Brian is putting a blanket

and saddle on this horse named Dakota.

They have another horse but she does not like to have

somebody ride her

* * * * * *

Jack and Brianna

( she is a good teacher)

* * * *

HEY, I am loving this !!!
* * * * * *

* * * * * *

Jack and Pa

* * * * * *

* * * * * *

I don't want to get off

<><><><><><><><>

* * * * * * *

Can you believe tthese cows come

when Mr. Brian calls them

<><><><><><><><>

This one is still a baby!!!

* * * * * *

That chicken is staring at me !!

* * * * * * * *

Me and my Pa

* * * * * * *

Thank you to Mr. Brian and his family for

letting us come visit his farm and animals.

2010-03-31T21:49:00.004-05:00

I want a 1979 Mercedes 450 SL

convertible hardtop

buttercup yellow with fawn interior.

If you have one you don't want , please call me

and I'll pick it up this weekend .

* * * *

Would also consider

1966 or 1967 GTO

April Gold in color

U asked for it

2010-03-30T19:17:00.005-05:00

Here we going with another annoying thing about this area..

We all know that from time to time we get requests for friends

whose children or grandchildren have a school geography

project that requires us to send postcards of the state we live in.

* * * *

I do not mind doing this, I think it is a great project for kids,

BUT and this is a BIG BUT--

(no you perv- not that kind of butt)

Today I went to the stores- yes plural, trying to find

picture postcards.

NO LUCK !!

* * * *

I went to 3 Wally Worlds, 2 Walgreens, a Dollar store,

Kroger and 3 gas stations..

Not one freaking picture post card .

W T F !!!

* * * *

So when Tom came home we went to a truck

stop out past the Maybelline Plant.

I walk up to a very crowded counter and ask

"do you sell postcards" and the cashier gave

me a dazed and confused look.

I must have looked like I was about to kill something,

because he says ,

Yes M'aam we do,

I know we stocked them yesterday ,

but I cannot remember where they are .

Needless to say , I found them and I bought 10 of them to keep on

hand for when the next school project that requires a post card.

* * * *

Now for the Real kicker,

Yesterday , I called a new beauty shop because they had a grand

openingspecial ,

pay for one hair cut get the second one free.

BONANZA--

We both need haircut.

So I called and asked how much to put low lights in my hair?

She informs me that she can do it for approx. $25.

Great !!! how long does it normally take to get this done?

(each hairdresser always need to do it in their own time- No Problem)

* * *

She tells me

I am quick at pulling the hair thru the cap.

! ! ! !

Whooooa - wait a min. Did you say

"pull it thru a cap"???

. . . .

I told her I have had scalp issues and cannot have my hair

pulled through a rubber cap with a steel crochet hook.

She then tells me , well I can foil it ,

but it will

cost $3.50 per foil

WTF-- who charges by the foil??

. . . . .

I ask- "do you do a heavy weave or light weaving"?

(meaning taking the rat tail comb and separating

the hair in a weaving fashion- so the color look

more natural)

She had NO IDEA what I was talking about ..

So that means when she is "foiling" my hair

she was going to be "CHUNKING" my hair.

WTF-- Nobody has done that since the '80s.

* * * *

Needless to say , I am still looking for a hair dresser that

can cut straight hair with precision and one that can also

color my hair and not charge by the foil.

* * * * *

And how has your week been so far???

March -- weather getting warmer

2010-03-27T18:59:00.005-05:00

This is my birthday present from Tom.

Yes I know my birthday is not until the 28th but think about it,

WHERE could he hide it .

***********

Jack and Pa getting ready to plant

Jack's apple tree

* * * * * *

********************

**************************

This is a Macintosh tree
**************

We are almost done !!

* * * * * * * *

This is Buddy and Smokey

* * * * * *

The following photos were taken by Jack

( after looking at these pictures, I realized ,

I really do miss blue skies- It is always overcast and

gloomy here)

************************

Jack and GG Bernice

March 26, 2010

North Little Rock, Arkansas

* * * * * * * *

OLDIES

2010-03-22T15:38:00.002-05:00

************************
Puppy My Strider
Ft. Collins , Colorado
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Michael & Teresa at Serena's
13th Birthday Party
* * * * * * * *

(cousins- oldest girl from each family)
******************************************

Last Day of Swimming

2010-03-21T12:58:00.002-05:00

Jack's last day of swim class

(until the next session starts)

* * * * * *

Look at me in the deep end .

I learned that the life jacket is my friend

* * * * * * *

My instructor said

make a BIG splash

so I did

* * * * *

******************************

Look at me being comfy in the
life jacket.
But I really like swimming without it .

*******************************

Jack & Jake

2010

Arkansas

2010-03-15T14:47:00.002-05:00

Fluffy, My GMC Yukon has 96,747 miles on her..

It is time to start planning her

100,000 mile party

* * * * *

Invitations will be hard to come by since there are

only 3 seats remaining .

* * *

There will be hats , noise makers and

snacks.

* * * * *

If I received more requests than I have seats,

invitations will be decided by a lottery type drawing ,

conducted by Jack.

* * *

If you receive and invitation, you must be ready to jump in Fluffy,

and take a ride no matter when I call you.

New 4 wheeler

2010-03-14T07:42:00.003-05:00

Hey, it 's me JACK

* * * *

Look what Maa & Pa got for us to use
at the farm
* * * * *

This is me on our Arctic Cat 650 TRV
Cool , huh ???

* * * * *
Pa had the store guys put a winch on the

front , just in case we ever get stuck ,and he had them

put a rack on the back so we can carry a cooler too.

2010-03-13T11:40:00.004-06:00

Since we were so close to Oklahoma City , we decided to

go visit the Murrah Memorial.

It was very cold and windy, so we did not stay long .

Across the street is an old Catholic Church with a statue

"Jesus Wept"

* * * * * * * * * *

As you are approaching the memorial, there are 2 chain link fences

with memories and memorials

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ******************

*************************

* * * * * * The Reflecting pool

* * * *

The chairs..
Each chair has a name and info about a person that

died in the blasts.

The chairs light up from the bottom in the evening

* * * * * *

This is a wall in front of the museum.

The tiles were decorated by children.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

I just saw the typo-- oops

The is the wall inside the museum

*******************************************

Approaching the memorial chairs

*****************************

The large tree in this photo

survived the blasts.

* * * * * * * * *

Tom reading one of the informational plaques

*********************

More later

OFFICIAL

2010-03-05T09:01:00.002-06:00

I went to the doctor yesterday

( yes that make THREE visits to the same doctor)

* * * *

The official ruling is

I AM A "FORMER DIABETIC" !!!!

^^^^

So that means the weight loss is working.

It also means less $$$ spent on meds.

ALSO

My bad cholesterol is down

and my good cholesterol is up

^^^^^^

I am not saying they are where they should be

but they are much better than they were 3 months ago.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

The BAD NEWS--- This week I have lost

only 1/2 pound..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2010-03-01T15:43:00.002-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to all of my March buddies:

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Ian Schenkel,

*****

John Hester

******

Nick Marchi,

*****

Amber Crutchfield

* * *

and

* * * *

Mark Warford

February 25

2010-02-24T22:48:00.003-06:00

Today would have been Mom's 83rd birthdayHere she is at age 14

She was the bridesmaid at her brother Wally's wedding

* * *

You left us way to soon, but you left us with

many memories and life lessons.

* * *

Missing you and loving you

OMG- she's at it again

2010-02-22T13:33:00.002-06:00

I have found another box of "old" pictures

This is from one of the many canoe trips

on the Kankakee River in Illinois

<><><><>

Oh yes, I think I remember this . We might

have been at the "Golfish Bar"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Colorado

* * * * * * * * * *

Lake Ladonna camp ground.
*
The rule was
Where you fall down is
where you sleep.
*
We only broke the rule one time ..
that time involved Jesse

Sunday

2010-02-21T08:24:00.002-06:00

Am having a quiet morning . Everybody ( except the dogs)

is still sleeping. So i made coffee and headed for the computer.

****

I really should be cleaningthis computer room, it has

become a catch all for EVERYTHING.. Looks like a

tornado went thru here.

* * * * * * *

Yesterday we went to the farm- it was 61 degrees.

FINALLY a little warm weather, now if we could just get

some sunshine to go with it . I am in need of

a day of sun and a good book and just sit on the patio, ( and hope

the dogs don't start circling my chair like sharks

in a feeding frenzy). I know I have said it before, but I will say it

again, when these 3 are gone , I AM DONE. I am tired of mopping

the floor 2x a day during the wet seasons. I am tired of asking

people to puppy sit when we want to go somewhere. We sure

cannot afford to kennel all 3 of them.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

IF it is nice today ,we will take Jack out and let him

ride his bike around the neighborhood. The

exercise would be good for me too.

February 2010

2010-02-19T09:57:00.003-06:00

Early Morning Snow

<><><>< 2010 Blizzard

* * * * * * * * * * *

Cardinal getting ready to take
advantage of the bird feeder.

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Valentine Flowers from Tom
(They smell sooooo good)

Thank You Tom .. I love them
<><><><><><><>

Another backyard visitor

*******************************

Now for the rant

Damn neighbors dog is barking again.. this damned dog barks all

day long.. I don't blame the dog , I blame the owner.

Poor fur baby is left outside alone 24 /7

Why the hell do people get dogs if they just plan to ignore them??

Guess it is time to get dressed and got knock (kick)

on the door .

Christmas photos we received 2009

2010-02-18T12:51:00.002-06:00

These are the photos that we received this Christmas

Click on the photos to enlarge them

* * * * * * * * *

******************************************

<><><><><><>

Arkansas Blizzard 2010

2010-02-08T11:53:00.003-06:00

********************************

This is the Blizzard of

February 8, 2010

North Little Rock, Arkansas

This picture was taken at 8:15am

***********************

*************************

Will update photos as snow keeps falling

When

2010-02-06T17:26:00.000-06:00

When did I become senile and deaf and STOOPIT.

I swear , lately ever statemnt I make , somebody has

to explain to me the meaning of what I just said.

This is bullshit .

* * * *

IF I say the sky is blue , I can expect to

hear something like

The sky is blue because it is daytime.

*********

W T F !!!!!

Uses for Lemons and other things

2010-02-06T09:58:00.006-06:00

LEMON

Sanitize a chopping block:

Run a slice of lemon over it to sanitize the block.

Whiten your fingernails :

Rub a wedge of lemon across the top of your nail

<><><><><><><><>

NEWSPAPER

Keep a fridge vegetable drawer smelling fresh:

Line it with newspaper

* * * *

OLIVE OIL

Moisturize Cuticles:

Apply a small amount of olive oil to the nail bed

Silence Squeaky Door:

Pour a little olive oil on a soft cloth and rub on hinges

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

DRYER SHEETS

Clean pet hair from furniture:

Wipe area with a dryer sheet to remove fur

Prevent thread from tangling

Run a threaded needle thru a dryer sheet before

starting to sew.

* * * * * *

More later

More photos

2010-01-30T12:27:00.003-06:00

Smokey enjoying the weather

Jan. 30, 2010*********************

More 4th birthday pictures

* * * *

It's Done !!!
I love it !!

This is toooo much fun !!!

<><><><><>

January 24, 2010

That's my Dad behind me

<><><><><><><><>

This is Buddy and Foster

Buddy is Black - Foster is reddish gold

2010-01-27T11:25:00.002-06:00

This was on my birthday and my

Pa is building me a swing set !!!******************

This was last wek.

We went to Greenbrier and then to

our farm at Wooster

Today Jack is F O U R

2010-01-24T11:09:00.005-06:00

Jack Thomas Hester

4 years old today

* * * * *

Happy Birthday Jack!!

<><><><><>Oh my goodness,, A bike and balloons and

a pile of presents !!!

* * * * * *

Can you believe it

A bike !!!

* * * * * *

OH MY GOODNESS !!!!

<><><><><><><><>

This is sooooo cool.
More blocks to build more things .
This one is a castle with a real drawbridge
and a cannon!!!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

HEy, Leave my toys alone !!!
It's MY birthday !!

<><><><><><><><><>

**************************

Look at me go !!
<><><><><>

This is going to be a great day !

**************************

YO , I made it across the room !!

* * * * * * *

This is from Maa & pa

What am I supposed to

do with this ???

**************

PLUS, today my cousin Ian called me .

That was a great surprise..

He was my FIRST birthday phone call..

More later

How tall??

2010-01-23T08:11:00.002-06:00

It's official..

* * * *

Jack is tall enough to rideThunder RailRoad

and Splash Mountain at DisneyWorld

* * * * *

Swimming Lessons

2010-01-05T18:57:00.002-06:00

Jack started taking swimming lessons today

January 5, 2010

Yes, I know the pictures are dark.

I was at one end of the pool and he was at the other.

I will TRY to get better pictures

the next time we go.

Snow in Arkansas

2010-01-04T17:56:00.002-06:00

Can you believe it ??? It snowed in Arkansas

Schools were closed today

* * * * * * *

Click on pictures to enlarge them .

* * * * * * *
<><><><><><>

**********************

Learning to make (little) snowballs

******************

Jack ALMOST hit his Mom's truck

while backing out of the garage

***********************

You guess it .. He got stuck in the park

<><><><><><><>

Jack has finally figured out how to

get around in the snow.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Tearing thru the park

* * * * * * *

We are supposed to get more snow on Wednesday

so there will be more pictures.

Christmas Day 2009

2009-12-28T12:58:00.004-06:00

Click on the pictures to enlarge

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Jack with his Batcave from Maa and Pa*************
*******************************

************************************

The Lego Star Wars project is DONE !!!!

* * * * * * * * * *

Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T11:50:00.005-06:00

You need to start at the bottom and

work your way up...

<><><><><><><><><><>

Santa left a letter for Jack

December 25,2009

(If you enlarge the picture, you

can read the letter from Santa)^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This is the puzzle from GG Bernice

***************************

Jack thinks he can sit here and wait for Santa
(Dec. 24,2009)

Oh, he was kidding !!!

Christmas Eve 2009

2009-12-26T19:09:00.003-06:00

These are the cookies that Jack made for Santa

Maa & Pa & Mom helped^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I am done making cookies , now it is time to
check Santa's progress
********************

I am taking a picture of the computer ,
I have been checking NORAD, and I want to show my Dad
that Santa was in PAris .. That is in France.
My Dad had to work tonight, but I don't want
him to miss anything.
<><><><><><><><><><><><>

Yep, Checking Norad AGAIn,, Santa is almost
to the United States !!!
O M G !!!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Maa will post more pictures TOMORROW

Pre- Christmas

2009-12-20T11:37:00.005-06:00

Our tree 2009

*************

* * * * * *

Jack has his own way of filling the Christmas Stockings

********************
YEP, I got some big boy boxers now !!
********************

Yes, Santa, I have been very good this year

(Except when I wasn't)
(Only kidding- he is always good-

but he is ALL BOY)

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2009

Jack at the golf course

2009-12-05T18:48:00.004-06:00

HEY !! Guess what ?!?!

I really am one of the big guys !!!Yes, that really is me and I am using

my OWN GOLF CLUBS !!

Look at that yellow ball FLY baby !!!
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

I'm just hanging out waiting for the old
guys to finish this hole .

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I shouldn't laugh, but if you saw

Les's score you would laugh too.

<><><><><><><>

Thanks Dad for taking me golfing today !!!

Nutcracker 2009

2009-11-29T21:34:00.002-06:00

Hi , we went to see the Nutcracker at the Houston ballet

***********************

This is me and my Mom before the show started .

***********************
Yep, that's me and my Maa, she went to the ballet too !!
(While we were watching the show ,
Jack leans over, taps me on the leg and says
Maa, I Love You !!!)

**********************
When it was commercial time , me and my Mom went
downstairs and one of the dance soldiers was there
and I got to meet him.
He was very nice !!

*************
This is me just being happy at home

***********************

Jack has discovered his vocal chords are quite stong and

he LOVES to use them.

....

Finally I said to Jack

"Can you just zip it "

and he replied

I can , but I don't want too..

***************

Wait until I am less tired and tell you some of the other

words of wisdom that come from this kid !!

OMG--

He is a comedian and does not even know it ..

2009-11-24T21:11:00.001-06:00

November 2009
***********************************

October 2009

Jack and Pa sharing the chair and

having some good vanilla ice cream .

Oct & Nov photos 2009

2009-11-19T14:10:00.004-06:00

Yes, that's me and my Dad's sitting in the drivers seat

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The puppy room / Tom's computer room

is finally repainted .

Next rooms will be kitchen & dining room

<><><><><><><><><><>

Jack at his Dad's work

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This is from Jack's

Thanksgiving party at school.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I'll add more photos later .

Halloween

2009-11-01T09:31:00.004-06:00

Astronaut Jack !!!

Thanks Nona for my astronaut suit.

I was the ONLY one with this costume !!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I wish they would quit taking pictures

and get started with the

trick or treating !!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Pa says I look like I am flying in this one

****************************
Jack & Tigger

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I made a good haul.
There was all kinds of good stuff in my pumpkin

<><><><><><>

I LOVE THIS STUFF !!!!

Just as I was enjoying my candy, the door bell

rang and there were sooo many kids . Every time

I would get busy, the doorbell would ring AGAIN!

I got to see many cool costumes , but none as

cool as mine !

I got to hand out candy to them. It was so much fun

then we ran out of candy at 8:15pm so Pa & Mom

shut off the outside lights and

unplugged the BIG pumpkin.

***************************

It was a good night , me and Mom

and Ma & Pa went all over

the place.. And when I got tired

Pa put me in the basket on the back

of Ma's bicycle and I got to RIDE HOME !!

It would have been more fun if my dad was here

2009