Pumpkin Blossoms

I just had to take a picture of a pumpkin blossom.
They are the one thing in the garden that is going to town.
They just make me smile when I go out first thing in the morning
to water the garden. All of these blooms. I am afraid of counting
my chickens before they hatch, and get excited about all of the pumpkins
I might have this fall.

Can you see the heart design in the pumpkin plant?
I love heart design in nature.

They always make me happy, just little signs that
make me happy every morning.

Going off on a rabbit trail from here on down.

July 1st is just around the corner. In July I plan
my school year, and finish all of my paper work and clean
my school room and pack away my old school books and get out
the new ones for this following year.
This year, I only plan for one student. It should be a piece of cake.
I am thinking we will start with the Pilgrims and go to the beginning
of the 20th Century. Then his senior year study that.

It makes me sad and my favorite subject to teach has been Ancient History.
I won't teach it anymore. I guess I will have to teach my grandsons and my grand
daughters because I just don't know how I would be live without teaching
about the Trojan War or the the ancient Greeks or Roman or Celts or any of the
cultures that have gone.
Heck, I might have to start a ancient history blog. In a couple of years. :)

Have a lovely Friday.

~Kim~

Thoughts on Thursday

Do you know sometimes, I think it is dangerous to leave the house.
Do things happen to you that makes you wonder if things like this
happens to everyone.

I had to run into a yardage store because I was out of some things.
It has been awhile since I have been there. I was surprised at how
lonely it felt inside. It could have been because not all of the lights
were on so it was kind of dark.

I can always manage to wander around and look at things and wonder how
you do this or that, and made it to the yardage section and wandered around
but on this day the amount of fabric overwhelmed me so I decided that I
didn't want to look anymore.

In fact I was ready to leave right then. I walked up to the registers and there
was no one around. I could hear a phone ringing off in one of the offices, so I stood
waiting. None of the lights were on at any of the registers so I didn't really know
which one to wait at so I kind of meandered between two so as to go to one
if someone came out.

As I am standing there a lady walks up and starts looking at some beads and things
and she says, " Hey, how much are these strings of beads." I looked around and there
is no one but me there so I walked over and looked for a sign. I found one and we discussed
whether it is for a whole string or just one. I walked back to my place. Still no one comes.

I started having a bit of a panic attack as I really, really wanted to get out of there. I was
really ready to go home. Then the gal at the beads asks another question and I walked
over and mumbled something and she says, " Hey are you in line?" I said, that I was and
she says, " Okay I am in line behind you." So I wander back.

Just as the lady comes out of one of the offices and she says, " I will help the next person in line."
I walked forward. She has a really mean look on her face and she says with ice dripping from
her words, " You crowded." " I said, what?" She said, You crowded in front of that lady."
The lady with a cart had really mean eyes too, I was sort of confused. I thought to myself,
" Was that lady there the whole time?"
I just said, " I didn't crowd I have been waiting and I am ready to go home." The lady who
was supposed to be waiting in line behind me was no where to be seen. The lady finally
checked my stuff out, but I was not the flavor of the month at all. I sheepishly picked up
my bag and left.

I don't know if I will be going back. Then as I was getting into my car in the parking lot
the checker and the manger walked out and watched. Of course in my mind, I was wondering
were they getting my license plate down so they could tell me I couldn't come back?
Or to put a sign up that said, "People who crowd wait here."

So, does that kind of stuff happen to you? Do you just mind your own business and
things like that happens?
I was just wondering,
Have a lovely Thursday,
~Kim~

Wedneday Words for Weight Loss

It is Wednesday Words for Weight Loss day.

Do you remember Hobo kitty? She had three kittens
yesterday. She is a very sweet mother. Two yellow
ones and one three colored one like the momma.
So it brings my cat total to nine. Enough about that.
Just to say I will not get attached.

On to the questions.
QUESTIONS1. What are you doing to go "green"?

Will you hate me if I say nothing? I think all of this green stuff is a load of hooey. Do I try and be careful with what I consume? Yes, I try and keep pesticides from the water table, I can my food so I am not adding to the land fill, but for the most part. I think going green is worse than things were before. I live in California, we are so penalized by everything. I see what in the end happens when we worship nature and not the creator. So on to another question.

2. If you could try a sport you've never tried before, what would it be?

Wow, I have tried lots and lots of sports, lets see, dog sledding. I haven't ever tried that but
I would love to be a musher and try a short dog race someday. Well if I moved that is where it had some snow.

3. What's your favorite vegetable and how do you like to prepare it?
I love salads, I can always eat more salad. My husband fixes the best salads. His salads always taste better than mine so he is our salad maker. My favorite is when we BBQ chicken and then slice it in strips and put it on top of spinach.

4. Do you enjoy thrift shops, consignment shops, or antique stores?

I do love antique stores but I don't go to them very much. I would like to I suppose but I just never have enough time. Not to mention, I am not much of a shopper. It isn't something I enjoy,
I am more of a conquer the shopping list type.

5. Who's the most positive person you know?
It has to be my husband. He is always positive and even in the hardest things he is always able
to see a silver lining. He laughs all of the time and he laughs at my jokes and it is always important to have someone who laughs at your jokes.

Thanks Patrice, I hope you will stop by and visit Patrice.

This Morning in The Garden

I finally have some sunflowers to show you pictures of and
I don't have to keep digging up last years shots. I am forgiving them
a bit now that they are acting like sunflowers are supposed to and stop
all of that lollygagging along. I don't think I have ever had a orange one before.


These are my transplants. I had them growing out next to
the boysenberries but when we expanded the berries these guys
had to go, so I dug them up with a shovel and moved them in the yard
in my flowerbed. They seem to like it better. The conditions aren't so
harsh.

See that little orchard bee on the flower? I stood and took
pictures as she was stuffing her little pollen sacks until there was
no more room. She would stop, and use her little legs to try and pack
the pollen a little tighter. She was buzzing quietly like she was talking
to herself and then she would work a bit more. The leaf underneath this
flower was just yellow with pollen that she had knocked off. She was
starting to get uncomfortable with me standing there watching so I
walked on, but it was really very cute.

A new pumpkin. The pumpkin patches are just filled with
flowers and new little green pumpkins. You know after my bees
went AWOL I was afraid of not having enough bees to pollinate.

I notice lots of different kinds of bees now, I guess it is because I am
looking. We have huge amount of these green looking bees that look
large like a meat bee but aren't. They dig little round holes in the sandy
soil and if you watch them the dirt goes flying like when a dog digs.
They all live where I have my green beans planted and I was afraid
they might sting me but they don't really pay attention they buzz
pretty loud but they are mainly concerned with what I think is there
own little hive. I have seen them sting a grass hopper and then drag
in in the hole and then wall up the entrance. So I imagine they lay
their eggs on the grass hopper and that is what the babies eat after
they hatch.

They are really fast so I haven't been able to get a close up of them.
We found a hummingbird nest in a cottonwood tree, the mama is sitting
on it. That is when I wish I had a telephoto lens. She just sits and watches
in her teeny tiny nest. I would love to see hummingbird eggs. I don't dare
get that close though.

Thanks for taking a walk with me. It was a beautiful morning.

~Kim~

Making Rugs

I hurt my back yesterday. But it was a good thing.
Really, I couldn't work. So I got to sit out by the pool and pretend
I was at a resort. Then I went swimming, which really did help ease
the pain. Then I did something I haven't done in a long time. I was
cleaning out my old magazines and I ran across my old rug hooking
magazines. They were from 2000 and earlier. I am so glad I have held
on to them. I have wanted to be a "hooker," for a long time. :)

Anyway, I ran across this pattern that I fell madly in love with, I found
myself catching my breath. Today my husband fooled around with the scanner
until he was able to enlarge it and I was able to get a pattern from it.



There was a column for beginners like me. I felt really like
I got to go to a class. She explained so much to me. In the magazine
it has the directions that you are supposed to hook to make it look like hers.
Here is her lovely rug, the lady's name by the way is Patti Patrick
This rug is called Pumpkin Moonshine she did it from a painting by
Van Gogh.

This is the picture from the magazine. She has directions for
dying your own wool with all of the measurements. Which I might
try some other time, she makes it sound so easy. I felt like
I spent the whole day at a rug hooking class.

I also wanted to ask if any of my rug hooking friends have ever seen
a rug hook like this. There is the regular rug hook at one end and I am not
sure but I think this is some kind of a proddy tool?? I don't know.
I decided to visit web sites to see if I could find one like it and I didn't find one.
I have other rug hooks but I always come back to this one. Maybe because it is
the one I learned on but I love the weight of it in my hands.

I have always wondered what you would use it for. I don't
even remember where I bought it from back in the day.

I have some other little mats I am going to make before I make this pretty
little rug, who will go on the wall.

So having a hurt back sometimes is good. It is sad though, my husband
and I were sitting out by the pool and all we could do was talk about work
and all of the things we still want to do.

It was a good day.

Happy Monday!
~Kim~

Odds and Ends of Saturday

It is dinner time. I am not cooking dinner. I am sitting,
here on the computer writing a blog. My daughter and my niece
wanted to cook dinner. They are making Ratatouille, and french bread,
and my daughter is making a white sauce for vegetables over some pasta.
Dessert is cake pops. I have tried to stay out so they can work to
their hearts content. They are so cute. I will even do the dishes.
So I can hear the sounds of dinner being prepared. My husband is playing
his guitar and contentment is in the house. I can hear the quiet voices of the
boys talking and I am thankful for lazy Saturdays.

Early this morning when we went to have coffee on the patio, there was a
fairy ring in the grass. Almost complete. My husband saw it first and went
to get the camera, I did look around in the flower beds for some stray fairy's
but I think they were already gone. I am so glad I am married to a man,
who is still interested in fairy rings.


I thought it was so pretty. It made the day seem magical somehow.
We worked in the garden a bit and just enjoyed the morning.

One of the things I was reading today was Homestead by Jane Kirkpatrick.
I feel spoiled when I read it. One of the things that I have enjoyed about the
book is her lack of self pity and whining. I have enjoyed watching her walk
from faith to faith. You know how much I have shared about Elisabeth Elliot and
how she is one of my hero's of the faith. I have found another. I read what she has written
and I am reminded of this, "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small."
(Proverbs 24:10)
As I read at the trials that they endured, I also thought of this, " Each ones work
will become clear; for the day will declare it, Therefore my beloved brethren,
be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that
your labor is not in vain in the the Lord.

I have always loved the words in that passage, I loved the word steadfast, best portrayed
by the Steadfast Tin Solider by Hans Christian Anderson. Immovable I always think
of the Rock of Gilbralter. Never moving but standing firm against the ocean and
the furor of the sea. Abounding I always think of joy in all that comes my way, remembering
that God sees no matter how little the gesture of kindness.

I think that is how I see the book Homestead, for her dream of a homestead, Jane Kirkpatrick
was willing to be steadfast, immovable keeping her eyes on the goal and on God,
who never left them or forsook them.

I am enjoying the book and I think about it when I am not reading it. I could highly recommend this book and the work of having and living on a homestead that you fought the elements
and the land and were able to live that dream.

I want to thank Debbie at No Spring Chicken for writing about this amazing lady.
Not to mention getting her book signed. My life will be forever changed.
Thanks to both of you.

~Kim~

Almost Finished

I am almost finished with showing you projects I did this week.
Next week I have to do flowerbeds or people will be stopping to
see if the house is empty. So no more projects of the crafty kind.

I had a idea that if I stenciled a red star on the drop cloth I bought
last week they might look cute for the patio. So this morning,
I grabbed my red paint and cut out a template and stenciled
the star and put these together. It was kind of fun.


I like my rusty old chairs with the pillows, but when my husband
reads this post, I doubt if he lets me keep them this way, I know he will
want to paint them. I keep them hidden most of the time under cushions,
but I like the old look with the pillows. Now that I am looking at them
I maybe should have tea dyed them.

Okay, here is my rug, I am only showing you to keep myself humble.
Oh gosh, this is what happens when you start out using a rug hooking pattern,
and decide that it might look better using a punch needle and then deciding
that maybe adding stuff that wasn't in the pattern and just grabbing the
pen and drawing something else. Primitive right, remember that. :) I am going
for the primitive look. It is a rug after all and I need one for the garage bathroom.

This is a sunflower from last year, and I must have saved
seeds from this kind, because all of my sunflowers look just like this,
I know I planted other kinds but his is what kind is blooming. I am just
not having a good year in the garden this year. The corn is tasseling
and it isn't but a foot high.

Remember when I did this rug in February?I never finished the edges.
So today, I started thinking, I have lots of the drop cloth left, so you know
how when you quilt sometimes you can make a quilt sandwich? So I thought
why don't I make a rug sandwich. So I cut the backing cloth the same
size as my rug and sewed the backing right up next to my last edge of hooking,

Like this and now I have a stronger protection for the back of the rug.
I don't know if I would do it all of the time but the edges are all finished
and it looks neat and protected.

Julia and Kim give me some feed back please. It was so easy and quick, so
I wondered do you think I am breaking some rug hooking rule.

So that was my Friday, it was so nice to use my sewing machine and finish up
projects that have been bugging me to get finished. I am ready to start some new
projects but I can't until I finish up these old ones.

It has been a good week, and my brain feels so rested. Thank you for your
patience.
~Kim~

Summer Days

I wanted to show you a picture of how my yogurt turned out.
I got the recipe from here, A Year Of Slow cooking. It was so easy
and who would have ever dreamed you could do it in a crock pot
and it smells heavenly and it makes a simple smoothie into a meal.
It makes me shudder how much I spend on the little containers.

I worked on some signs. I am tired of the other Fourth of July
signs I have had on the outside of my house for at least 15 years.
So I thought I would do some different ones. This flag one is okay.


This one was a piece of wood I have had hanging on my fence
for years and years. I decided I was tired of it and took it down
and reused it for this. Now it looks older than it did before I started. :)


I have wanted a fresh eggs sign forever. I am thinking of hanging
it on the outside of my chicken coop. Maybe the hens will learn to read
and remember that they are supposed to be working for their food,
instead of wanting to lay around the yard taking dust baths and
acting like they are on vacation.


This is my little beach sign. I had a tiny little board
left over and for some reason this just tickled me to have
a beach sign pointing to the pool. So I am thinking of getting
a little board and making a sign post point it towards the pool.
This was my kids favorite sign.

It really is handy sending kids to college. My son came in and
I needed some different fonts for words and I was stuck. I have
watched my husband do it over and over for me, but I was missing
a step. I called my son in and he showed me. But unlike my husband
who likes to do things for me my son is different. He makes me do it
myself and then makes me show him the steps how to do it again.

I wonder where he learned that. :)

Blessings from me to you,
~Kim~

Things I Did Today

Today was a good day. I got up early, because I knew it was going to be
hot, I went out and picked all of the beets I had growing in the garden.
I think it would have been nice to have had more but really, only my husband
and me eat beets so it is enough. I finished with everything by 10:00 AM
I even had the kitchen cleaned and everything put away.

The funny thing was that every time one of my kids came in
they asked, " What did you can?" and" Where did you get beets?"
It made me laugh that they didn't even know that we had some out there
they grew really nice. I can't wait to open a jar.

I was talking to my girls the other day and they asked
if I had ever made a plum cobbler. I said no because in my mind
plums and cobblers just don't mix. Then Patrice told me she puts
cherries with hers and makes a crisp. So I decided today I was going
to do that too.
I had some berries left on my berry bushes so I decided I would mix
some boysenberries with the plums. This was the result. I love it's pretty
red color. The kids that were my taste testers said they think it might be
better than my berry cobbler. I am glad because of all of the plums
I have on the trees still yet.

I also decided today was the day to make yogurt in the crock pot. My daughter
had made some and brought it over and it was so good that we sort of fought
over it so I decided I needed to make my own.
I used to make it in my oven, so I like the idea of the crock pot. I sure love
the fresh clean smell of it.

So that is what I did, it was a good day.

I hope you day was just as nice.
~Kim~

Wedneday Words for Weight Loss

It is time for Wednesday Words for Weight Loss.
I look forward every week to see what kind of questions
Patrice will come up with. It is always a nice surprise and
makes me think of things I haven't thought of in years.

Questions1. I've heard it said that there are two body types when weight is gained? Some are like an apple with a big gain in the middle and others are like a pear with a larger lower region. What kind of fruit are you? :)

Until I reached 40 I wouldn't have said either, but now in my 50s I have to say
I am more like a pear. What kind of fruit am I? How about a nut, maybe a walnut. :)

2. Have you ever joined an exercise studio or gym?

When I first saw this question, I thought no I never have and then I remembered
after I had our first baby and Jazzersise was all the rage, I got a cute little outfit
and went one time, the only time. I have never been so sore in my life and I really couldn't move. So that was it, a gym flunky.

3. What was your favorite vacation ever?

Well there are two, my husband's company that he worked for had a office in Grant Michigan. He was having to work there so we only had three kids then, we flew to Grand Rapids, and the kids and I stayed in a hotel and he would go to work and then when he would get home in the evening we explored Grand Rapids.
After that week was up we rented a car and went all over Michigan. We even made it up to the upper peninsula and went to Mackinac Island. We went to the
Grand Hotel and I just loved it.
My other favorite vacation, was we took our travel trailer and went from here to Oklahoma and my husband had did a trip planner so we saw something every 100 miles. We saw the most amazing things. My husband had never seen the Grand Canyon and I love watching the shock on his face when he first saw it.
We had to stay there 2 days because he was just so mesmerized by it.

4. Is there a famous person you'd like to be like?

Hands down, Harper Lee. She wrote the best book I have ever read and when
I read To Kill a Mockingbird, I just sit in awe at her writing style. I love the way
she uses her syntax and when you read you are Scout. No matter how many times I get so caught up in the story and forget to pay attention to the writing.
Well, also J.K. Rowling just because she is an invisible writer and I want to be
that kind of writer.

5. What's your favorite way to have coffee? If you don't drink coffee, then tell me about another beverage you like.

I like coffee hot or cold and I like tea. But only herbal tea. I love, love herbal tea
and I love growing my own things to make my own tea. I am a social drinker,
and eater, whatever you are eating or drinking I am good with it.

Thanks again to Patrice for taking the time to put together these questions and stop by and visit Everyday Rurality.

Things I Did Today

With it getting hot this week, I knew this morning,
I needed to really work hard in the garden and get lots
of weeds chopped. I went out early and worked 3 hours.

Today is Monday, I do my house work and my laundry on Monday.
I would walk back and forth between the house and the garden.
I need the exercise so I figured it beat walking and being bored
to tears walking in the heat.
I also needed to go shopping today. When I work hard outside I try not
to drive. I make mistakes when I get tired. But I really needed to go to
Wal Mart and the grocery store. They are remodeling Wal Mart. I was glad
I wasn't in a hurry. Nothing is where it used to be and they are moving
things around so much that if it was there today, it won't be there tomorrow.

Then they had only two checkers working. Two... I waited in line for
almost 1 hour. I got to stand and watch people. I had a lady walk up and
start going through my basket. I stood and watched. She looked up at me
and asked" if the beach towels I was buying were on sale." I said no, She said
"why are you buying so many?" I said," because I don't have any." She wanted
to know why, I was totally intrigued by her, I told her that they got used
for rags. She said, "Oh," and went back to her basket. She kept looking at me
but she couldn't think of anything else to say.

Then I had to go to the grocery store as my kids are making smoothies
and since I am so happy they are drinking smoothies and not soda I am happy to go.

At the check out line there was an older woman in one of those carts people drive.
She was in front of me, and I could tell that she was getting upset about something.
I asked her if there was something I could do, " She said that her daughter was
supposed to be coming with more stuff. I told her that I wouldn't unload my cart
I would wait for her daughter to not worry. She smiled a bit,
Her daughter came up and I said, " I was waiting for you, go ahead." She said thank you,
and she asked her Mom if she had got bread, the Mom said" No, she had forgot." I told
the daughter I would wait if she wanted to run back and get it, she said , "no it was okay".

When the older lady was finished, she turned around in her little cart and made eye contact
and smiled and said thank you so much for being kind. I smiled back but her smile made
me feel so good.
So what did I learn? I was glad that I wasn't in a hurry today. I was glad that I had time
to just wait because I get to see things I wouldn't normally see.
I am glad that sometimes I live what I believe. I am glad that today was one of those
days.

You know, I did get all of my work finished too.

~Kim`

Monday Morning

Next week, we will have over 100 degree temperatures.
I am pretty happy about it. Finally normal summer. My son
was telling me how much better he feels when it is hot outside.
How he can run and run without getting tired.
The funny thing I am the same way. I can work better when it is warm
and I like it better. Not in the heat but too about noon, I can get so much
work done. Maybe the heat cooks my brain or something. But at least the
pool will be warm and I can go swimming.

I was noticing that my beets are getting ready.
I love canned beets. I can't wait until I can put
them in jars and put them on the shelf.
Short post tonight. Not lots of deep thoughts.
Right now the computer was working so I thought I
would just write something, because I could.
Have a lovely Monday!

I had something I remembered after watching my grand children.
They were playing in the fort and my grandson came over and I hugged
him and gave him a kiss. He hugged me back and as he was climbing back
up the slide, he turned and looked at my husband and said, " Gama has
kisses for everyone."
We both laughed and I thought was a nice way to be remembered. I want that
to be my epitaph, Gama had kisses for everyone." So now my husband comes up
and asks very nicely if I do, I always say yes,
~Kim~

Summer Days

There is just something about fruit on a tree that I just love looking
at and I love watching it get ripe. I have really been enjoying
the sun not setting here until a little after nine each night.
I love that the sun is up about 5:30, it makes me remember
those days long past of staying up and playing hide and go seek
until finally the Mom's would yell for us to come inside because it was
bedtime.
We would swim all day and then play as long outside as we could.
When I got older it was swimming, riding horses and playing tennis.

We have had so many young adults here this last week.
They have been playing Skipbo and Uno. The matches have
gotten pretty exciting. They are swimming in the day and
it has been busy.
My computer has been giving me fits. In fact it has taken me
so long to write this post and when I try to visit you, my computer
keeps saying that the connection has timed out.

I just wanted you to know that in case, something happens and
I can't get around to visit you.
It is just a heads up, just in case.

I didn't want you to think I was on vacation. :)
Doing this.

Have a lovely Father's Day!
~Kim~

Fridays At Grama's

Today I have had all of our grandchildren over. This morning
Megan came with her boys. They hung out and picked plums.
The boys ran around the garden and played in the dirt.
They drew on the porch with chalk. They played with toys
and I think when she got them home they took really good naps.

I had to take my son to piano lessons and when I got back,
I had a house full. My daughter and her family came and
my son had invited his friend over so they could play games.
So they played games until dinner time.
Today is my daughter and her husband's fifth anniversary,
So her kids are spending the night with gama and papa.

We played McDonald's in the fort. I watched my husband
play with them and it hit me how much I love that man.
I always fell in love with him over and over watching him
with our children but watching him with our grandchildren
is just beyond cool.
I just finished giving them a bath and getting them in their pajamas.
They are playing with Legos a bit and then I will put them to bed.
I made sure that I found out what time is their bedtime because last time
they told me they went to bed at 9:30. Their bedtime is 8:00 by the way.

I think I am the one who I hope makes it to 8:00 P.M.
They get up early so I imagine we will all have coffee together in the
morning. :)
I hope you have a lovely weekend.

~Grama~

Date Night

Tonight is date night. My husband and I haven't went on
a date for awhile. First we were going to go out to dinner
then a movie. Then I made Mexican food that he was craving
and he said my food was better. :)

Then we decided that we enjoy watching Swamp People on the computer
and watching Dr. Who on instant more than we like going to see a movie.
So this morning I said, "I know what we can do for a date" . He said, "What?"
I said, " Lets go to Lowe's."
So we made our list and we are going to go on a date to Lowe's He needs a new
saw blade and I need some rope and a two by four and some paint and
maybe some drop cloths. You know to cut up and make pillows for outside.
The cloth kind of drop cloths and if I stencil them they look really cute.


These are last year's sunflowers by the way. I didn't want
anyone thinking I had any this tall yet.
Now I am posting a picture of my son who just turned 22 last
Monday. Yesterday, my daughter was over with her kids and
she had to jump up to take care of one of the little kids. So she
handed off the baby to my son.
I really liked this picture.

My daughter told him to look off in the distance.
I am so glad we have a home that has lots of babies
so everyone gets to practice.
So that is today from my front porch. I hope you have a lovely
Friday. We will be picking plums in the morning.
I love watching my grandson's eat plums.
Life is grand.
~Kim`

Making Signs

This is one of the signs I made. Well I painted the lettering
black and I didn't like it so I repainted it this morning and brought it
in the house. I don't know if it is because it says, " Groceries,"
but it made me start thinking about my Dad. It also might
be that Father's Day is coming too. I have been thinking
about him.
I never know what to say about him. He was a study in contrasts,
in my mind, I thought he was bigger than God. I even thought God
might be afraid of him.
My Dad was a people person. He loved people. He told me once about
wanting to grow up to be a preacher. When I was in high school he gave
me a small leather book filled with his sermons. Then something
happened in his life and he walked away. From God and from the church.

He raised us without God. I was in fifth grade before I heard the Christmas
story. My Mom accepted the Lord in 1967 and our home became a war zone.
He was one of the hardest working men I have ever seen. He always had two or
three jobs.
When he bought his first grocery store, he would work until his body would make him
stop and then he would sleep and you couldn't wake him up.
He was the kind of man who always brought people home who didn't have a place to go.
We always had people living with us. Sometimes for years. He loved children and young
adults.
I have his first grocery add that was in our newspaper. I had to do it in two pictures
because it is long and skinny the prices are so cheap.


He had six grocery stores at one time and he owned a feed store
too. The feed store was called The Grainery and then his restaurant
was called The Grainery Inn. We also raised show cattle and his
ranch was called the JBJ Cattle ranch. We also raised sheep and
hogs.
Then when he sold it all and moved to Oklahoma, he raised cattle back there.
He was our 4H leader and was on all kinds of board of directors.
He was as I said, a study in contrasts. We were expected to work and
we were to work hard. I showed horses too. Though it got to be that
I liked showing cattle the best.

I was his oldest daughter and I loved him and I looked up to him. But
I was also afraid of him and even writing this post I am afraid. He was very
strong. We had a cow that every time you walked
behind her she would kick. My grandparents knew this as I did so we always
walked very carefully. One morning my Dad was helping us when that cow kicked
and nailed my Dad. The next thing I knew that cow was upside down and my Dad
was sitting on her belly between her front and back legs. He was yelling at the
cow and she was bawling but not moving much.
Very quietly my Grandpa said, " Dontcha think you should let her up now?" My
Dad came too is the only was I can describe it and got off of her and she got up
and she never kicked again.
He was like that. I of course, was the one who knew his buttons and as I got older
I knew how to press them. I will leave it at that.

I am so thankful that my kids have had the kind of Dad they have had and I am
so glad to have had the kind of husband I have had too.

I hope you have a wonderful Thursday, because you know for what ever I had,
I had a good life and God hand picked my parents just for me and without them
I wouldn't be me.

~Kim~