I'm baaaack!

This won't be long because I have to get up and go to work soon. I woke up early and knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep.

It's been a busy life since July 7, my last post. I can't even remember all I've done, but work has been really busy, I did some freelance stuff and I've done quite a bit of scrapbooking here and there. The latest of that was Scrapapalooza 3 in Springfield last weekend. I got to stay only until about 11 a.m., then drove home to meet Maxine and Silvia so we could go back to Springfield for the Japanese festival at the Mizumoto Stroll Garden. It was fun. I loved the drummers we listened to, and the garden, of course, is beautiful. (I could have done without the crowd, but that's what a festival is, isn't it?)

Finished up a special section for Field Day at the ag research center. It's kind of hard for me because I don't know anything about ag or research and most of the people I have to talk to are professors at MU and talk to me like I'm supposed to know what they're talking about. They are really nice, though, and I've learned to make them back up and say it all again if I don't understand something. My favorite story this year was the project that grew ragweed. Can you imagine anyone growing ragweed on purpose - hoping to improve it? It's a project for a company that makes allergy medicine, so it really does make sense.

While I was working on that, I took on a project for the local arts council scheduling writers' workshops for our arts festival, which is this Saturday. Someone else was supposed to do it but decided she didn't want to. And at work, we're working on the Apple Butter Makin' Days section. ABMD is Oct. 10-12 (I think) It's whatever that weekend is.

I'd like to take a week's vacation and go camping, but I'm not sure when that will happen. The September and October calendar got filled up really fast.

The photos are the drummers, the arched bridge, Silvia and Maxine and I, a flower arrangement demonstration and a storyteller. (Not necessarily in that order. I can't see them as I type, so I don't know how they landed.)

This is all for right now. Talk to you later.

Heagerty Reunion

So I've been away for a while. Not physically, but just busy, I guess. Anyway, here I am again after all this time. I've done a lot, but won't try to catch up. Guess I've been to Alabama and Branson, ball games and crops, work and play since the last time I wrote. They were all fun - so much fun I didn't have time to write about them all.

The most recent fun was the Heagerty cousins reunion July 4 weekend. Those of you who follow Rachel's blog already know a lot about it, but I have to tell you it was the most fun I've had in a long time. I laughed until my sides ached, wiped my tears and Deb's all weekend, dredged up memories that were nearly lost to time and got reacquainted with the cousins I love. It couldn't have been any better - except to have had Cuz Bill and daughter Elizabeth here.

Can't say that I had a favorite moment or event, but I certainly did love seeing those old home movies Sonya and Deb brought. I especially liked the ones of the This is Your Life they did for Grandpa at Roper - and seeing him kiss Grandma - and the ones at the farm and of Lady. Loved all the old photos and letters, too. It was fun hearing what everyone thinks are Heagerty traits - seeing how we all are alike, realizing I'm not alone in my quirks.

I loved the visit to the farm, too, and am so glad my daughters Michelle and Sarah got to see it. Elizabeth and I were there a few years ago. I'm glad to know they got at least a glimpse of what part of my childhood was like. I loved the farm and spent a lot of summer days out there, roaming the woods, helping Grandma gather eggs and tend garden, watching Uncle Holis squirt milk directly from the cows into the mouths of the barn cats, doing Shakespeare in the barn loft, reading in the upstairs bedroom ... wow, what memories. Needless to say, I loved Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma's sugar cookies ...chicken and noodles ... biscuits ...homemade syrup for pancakes ... yum, yum...

I could go on and on, but I'll throw in some photos. Rachel, Alex, Sam and I slept in the fort Friday night, wedged in like sardines in a can, but we had a great time telling scary stories and funny stories and jokes until, one by one, we dropped off to sleep ...

I love you all you guys. Thanks so much for making it such a wonderful weekend. Let's do it again!!!

Baby birdies

OK, here are those photos of the baby birds.

Well, that's all I was going to write, but I looked at it onscreen and there was a whole pile of blank blue space. I couldn't have that, so I'm adding some ramblings.

Can you believe we have the air conditioning on at work - and last week I was wearing a jacket? Well, I was wearing a jacket when I got here yesterday, for that matter. And I'd be wearing one right now if I had known when I left the house that Steve would be turning on the A/C. Probably I'd better take one to Diane's tonight, what with being in that bunch of menopausal women.

Went to KeenBean this morning to grab a mango smoothie, but they were out of the flavoring, so I opted for a Peachy Keen. It was way too early in the day for Wildberry Desire.

Have a great holiday weekend. Sleep a lot. I'll see you all (well, some of you) Monday!

Too late to do this

Really, I should be in the shower and getting ready for bed. I was so sleepy all day, it was all I could do not to fall asleep and knock myself out on my computer at work. So why am I still up?

Got home just a little while ago from Alex's ballgames at Mickey Owen (it will always be Mickey Owen to me). Cousin Deb called just as I pulled into my driveway, so we talked a little while about the Heagerty reunion this summer. She called to get a couple of addresses. I hope my lawn gets mowed before then.

Tomorrow night, I am going to a friend's house for an overnight scrapbook party. Saturday is Mt. Vernon's all-school reunion, and I know at least one couple from my class will be there. I want to see them, plus I just have to cover it for the newspaper. Then I'll go back out to Diane's to scrap some more. Monday, I will go to Stockton for a while. Maybe even take Rachel's birthday gifts to her.

The next week, I am going to Opelika. Scott's mom and stepdad will be there from California, and I haven't seen them since the Zumbiels moved to Oregon, and I guess that's been more than five years. Or is it six? How old is Sydney?

The pictures I put on here are some baby birds in a tree in my back yard. I set up my tripod on the deck and shot a bunch of photos. When I looked out there for them today, they were gone, although I did see one sitting on a branch with its mouth wide open. There were three of them in that teeny little nest.

Well, never mind. I thought I transferred those photos from my computer at the office to this one today, but evidently not. So I will post some photos I took at a friend's house yesterday instead.

So I was up until about 4 a.m. this morning, playing on the Internet. I finally got it hooked up at home, and let me tell you, it was every bit as much a hassle I as expected. But it's done, and I think it's really going to be fun.

Speaking of fun, Silvia was here from Tulsa over the weekend, and she and Maxine and I celebrated my birthday. They took me to lunch here in town at the Red Bard, where we shared blackberry cobbler and ice cream for dessert. Yum! Then back to my house, where we stayed. We had sort of planned some other stuff, but it was rainy and kind of stormy, and Sadie (Siliva's Great Pyrenees) gets spastic with thunder. Silvia didn't want her tearing up my house because she was alone. Anyway, we watched a couple of movies, "That Touch of Mink" and "Rear Window." Classics, just like us.

Oh, yeah, and I got to open presents. Maxine gave me a book on Bible stuff and a picture of a giraffe and her baby, and Silvia gave me a book called "Dream." Everything is really cool. It was fun celebrating with them. Silvia spent the night and we went to church Sunday, had dinner there because it was the preacher's birthday, and then drove out to a farm and got strawberries. We would have picked them, but it was pretty wet, so we just bought what they had already picked. They are so good. I had some ready to take to Michelle Tuesday, but Alex's game got cancelled. More rain!

Guess I'd better go. Work calls.

Love you!

Rain, rain, rain.

I like rainy days, but I'd much rather get to stay home on one than go to work. How nice it would be to curl up with a fleecy throw, a cup of tea and a good book on a day like this.

It rained yesterday, too, and the iris and other flowers were so pretty with raindrops all over them, I just had to take some photos.

This morning, we've had downpours, mists and hail. Heard a report from Round Grove school (near Miller) that they had golf- and baseball size hail. Broke out some windows in their church and bashed the school bus pretty good, I guess. But no one hurt. One of the grocery stores lost all the info in their cash registers to lightning.

It was disappointing that all of Alex's games at Mickey Owen I could have gone to this week got called off. I like it when he plays so close to me.

Listen, no more of my grandchildren are allowed to pass out. Got that? I'm really glad the doctors have given Sydney and Alex such good news lately. Let's keep it that way.

My friend Silvia is coming from Tulsa tomorrow, and she and I and another old school chum, Maxine, are celebrating my birthday. With one eye on the weather, we may: go to Dickerson Park Zoo, Nathanael Greene Park and the Japanese Stroll Garden and/or ArtsFest on Walnut Street. I'm excited about any and all of those things. If it rains and rains, we will have to find some indoor activities.

I took my birthday day off and went to Springfield to putter around. Visited with Priscilla, who gave me some books (imagine that!), then went to Hooked on Books where I got $22 in trade and bought $28 worth of book, then went to the Greene County Friends of the Library sale, where I spent about $25 more. Came home with 34 books. It was a GOOD birthday! Also used a 40 percent off coupon at JoAnn's to get a set of mounting blocks for acrylic stamps. The best part of the day, though, was getting phone calls from my three daughters. And I loved the message from Sam and Sydney. And the singing from Silvia.

Gotta go.

Later!

Easter, ag and the weekend

Yes, I'm slow, but these photos are so cool you won't mind that you're just now seeing them. They're good anytime.

Most are from Easter Sunday and our visit to Grandma Rie at the nursing home. She looked great, and we had a great time singing and talking. Well, the Wheelers with the good voices sang. Larry and I kept our mouths shut and just listened. It's better that way.

I got to Kay and Larry's just as everyone was finishing lunch. There is that job at church where I have to count the money and make the bank deposit, and of course it couldn't be simple that week, could it? I was worship leader during service that morning, too. Anyway, lunch was great, and then the kids hunted Easter eggs — inside because it was so cold outdoors. They had a lot of fun hunting, and we adults had a lot of fun watching.

The last few weeks have been really, really busy. Our special ag section comes out next Wednesday, and I had to have the stories, photos and layout done and to the printer by noon Thursday. It's done. Whew!

Just lots of other stuff going on, too, from the opening of our new justice center to attending an Emerging Artist concert at Juanita K. one night to an arts weekend that included a cast iron skillet chef cookoff, an apron exhibit, a concert by a brass quintet and a children's theater production. The farmers' market opened and there was a car show that weekend, too.

I am looking forward to this weekend. On my calendar I have three things listed to do Saturday: stay home, clean house and sleep. I am determined I will accomplish all three.

That's all for right now. Good news about Sydney and the Zumbiels' house. I hope you are feeling better, Michelle. It was good to see Stephanie and David and Heather and Pat and the kids at the ball game this week at Mickey Owen. I hope sometime this summer the kids play over there and we can have dinner or lunch or something at my house while you all are over here.

Love you all!