Its just a pile of ashes now

My sister Judy is a professional photographer.  A few years ago she moved a train depot to her farm and remodeled it into a photography studio.  She also had a building type thing where she had outside sets made up to take pic.  She also took pictures in the wheat field and woods and any place she found that looked good.

Last week their wheat got hailed out then the milo they had just planted got flooded out.  Then lightning struck her studio and burned it to the ground.  You can see in the following photograph her husband trying to keep the propane tank from exploding.  Thank God it didn't go or he would have been killed.  They also worked all night to keep their home from going up in flames.  They have a tin roof and they think that helped keep the fire from burning their house down because the siding was scorched and there were even burnt spots in the grass on the opposite side of the house.

Of course there was smoke damage in the house to the tune of almost $20,000.00  Yes they have insurance but for an amount far less than it would take to rebuild and replace.  She now has the decision of weather she wants to start over or retire.  I vote retire.  Its time.  Life is short.

I cant imagine the heartache she is feeling.  Every camera except one, all the photographs, film, negatives, computers, props and so on.  Its just awful.

Modest Dress

Hannah takes a glass blowing workshop

Hannah began a glass blowing workshop this week.
  She seems to be a natural and is enjoying it.  Her father was a professional glass blower.

 Here she is picking up color.

 Keeping the glass hot and fluid at the furnace.

Shaping the glass with a wet wooden mold type thing.

Healthy oatmeal no bake bars

I made these yesterday and both Hannah and Jeff really liked them.  Hannah said I should put the recipe on my blog so here it is.  I saw it on Facebook.
1 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil, do not substitute, this is what gives it the creamy texture and flavor
2 cups oats, not instant
1-1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used chocolate stars I had)
3/4 dried cranberries

In medium saucepan I melted the peanut butter, honey and coconut oil.  I then added the chocolate.  I then added just a little more coconut oil.  That helps the chocolate not to become a big glob.  Then I added the oats and cranberries.  I mixed this up real good and put in a pan.  It called for a 9X13 pan but I thought that would make them too thin so I used a smaller rectangle pan.  Refrigerate until set.  Store in the refrigerator.

This recipe is healthier because the fat is coconut oil which is good for you and instead of sugar it uses honey.

My trip with the Amish

Every now and then I am asked by my Amish friends to drive them places.  I do this as a friend.  They pay the gasoline.  One time I drove them to a funeral.  This time it was more of a pleasure trip.  They wanted to attend a wedding and make a few stops along the way.

          We started off on a Tuesday morning and traveled about 12 hours the first day to a place in Oklahoma.  The man was an historian so my friends were interested in what he had to say.  They ended up finding out that they were related distantly.  I like to experience new things so I go along whenever I can.  He took us all around his area pointing out important things and telling us facts.  We also went to a nearby grave yard or cemetery.  My friend asked me the difference in a grave yard and a cemetery and I don’t know.

          We stayed at these peoples home and they provided supper for us.  It was very good.  All the ladies helped clean up.  I washed the dishes.  We left early the next morning before our hosts woke up.

          The second day we traveled to Kansas to look for a cemetery that was near my mother’s farm.  We stopped by my mom’s house and introduced everyone.  We were unable to find the cemetery.  I will find it next time I go.  I have been there before but for some reason I couldn’t find it.  My friend then treated us to a buffet breakfast at a local restaurant.

          Next we traveled to Phillipsburg Kansas where we toured a fiber factory.  The Shepherds Mill was an interesting place.  They take in raw fibers and through a process it is made into yarn.

          After the fiber mill tour we traveled to Bethany Missouri where we stayed the night.  Breakfast was at 5:30 the next morning with 27 people at the table.  17 being children.  I was seated smack dab in the middle and was able to learn what is expected at meal times by observing those around me and doing what they did.  We had biscuits and gravy, friend eggs, cold cereal, milk and water.  We left right after breakfast.  I hope to go back someday and have the time to visit with these people.

          That was a Thursday morning, Wedding day.  We traveled to Carrolton Missouri and arrived there by 8 am.  In plenty of time for the wedding since they used standard time.  My friend told me I was free until 3 pm so I took off and went to the nearest town where I had already arranged to meet a facebook friend.  We enjoyed each other’s company until she had to return home.  It was sure good to finally meet her in person.  I arrived back at the wedding site in time to watch all the Amish leave the big barn where the wedding had been held.  It was interesting watching all the children come out and then older children and finally the adults.

          I was offered a tray of food by some Amish young men but I had already eaten.  Later some Amish ladies brought around pie which I of course accepted.

          After the wedding was over we left one of our passengers there who had plans to head to Wisconsin to her grandmothers wedding.  I knew that the empty place would be filled with something as Amish want to make the most of all opportunities and sure enough, the next day the van was filled to capacity again.  This time with boxes of potatoes and 50 pound bags of flour.

          Anyway, after the wedding we headed south to southern Missouri where we surprised one of the girls with us by taking her to stay at her parents house.  She didn’t recognize where she was because her parents had just moved to a new place two weeks previous so she was quite surprised.  We then drove a couple of miles to another Amish farm where we asked if they had any beds.  They said yes and quickly made them up for us.  It was already dark when we arrived so we went to bed soon after arriving.  In the Amish culture hospitality is part of their religion so it is very common to have company stay the night on their travels.  Apparently not many divers like to stay in Amish homes so they were pleased that I was staying with them.  I wanted to learn all I could so I went everywhere I was allowed and was able to eat and sleep in their homes.  I really enjoyed that.

          The next morning breakfast was again at 5:30 am.  Oh and sleeping with the windows open makes for a wonderful night of sleep.  BUT, the roosters all crow beginning at 4:15 am.  It was fun and easy to get up early for some reason.  I do miss sleeping with a nice breeze coming through the windows.  Here in south Texas I don’t think there would be a nice breeze.  Maybe a hot one.

          I forgot to mention that each place we stayed they asked us all to sign their guest book.  I am going to bring along a notebook if I ever do this again so I can write down the people’s names so I can send thank you cards.  As it is I have to wait for my friend to get the names and addresses to me.

          Friday we headed out after breakfast and went to an Amish bulk food store, this was the second one we went to.  I forgot to mention that we went to one a couple of miles from the wedding site after the wedding.  This time is where we loaded up on the potatoes and flour.  Next we picked up the girl we had dropped off at her parents.

          We then traveled home.  This was the longest day of driving.  I arrived home at 11:30 pm on Friday.  It was a great trip but as with any trip I go on its always good to get home.  As Dorothy says in the Wizzard of Oz, there’s no place like home.

          There were three ladies at the end of the trip including me and we had ended up meeting each others mothers.  We found that a fun fact of our trip.


          Edited to add a couple of pictures.
The first one is an Amish lawn mower.  The Amish man stands atop the platform above the mower and drives the horse.  They go round and round and it works quite nicely.
         The second picture is of the bed I slept in the last night on the road.  I found it interesting that in two of the places I slept they only used a fitted sheet and blankets, no top sheet.  I slept very well every night with them.

 

This is my back raised bed garden

We just harvested a bunch of lettuce, cilantro, green peppers, 3 tomatoes from last years plant plus quite a few jalapeños. Oh and some Brussels sprouts. Garden looks good this year.

Hannah recieved an academic award at CBC, Costal Bend College

 There is Hannah amongst the group of award recipients and professors.

 Part of our family with Hannah and her award.

 Hannah holding her award.

     Hannah's academic award.  Outstanding student in English.  Hannah has carried a 4.0 thus far in her college career. 
     Joy and Mollie attend college in Missouri and do quite well there but for some reason the school they attend does not do this award type of thing.  Its a pity too because all of my daughter have the drive, determination and heart to achieve great things in their academic careers.  My daughter Kaleena has a masters in curriculum and has taught 5th and 6th grade math and science and has now accepted a position to teach special education.  She is now working on her certificate for that.  I am so proud of all my girls and all the things they have accomplished.  I don't want to forget my oldest Brooke who works with the elderly and is a loving and caring caregiver whose patients love her.

Fun with visiting family

 Hannah fishing.

 Mom enjoying the view.

 Hannah taught my sister Roberta the basics of kayaking.

 Roberta took off like she was born to kayak.

My brother in law Wayne had a great time fishing.
I am enjoying my family.  I live so far away that I don't get many that are able to come visit.  I think they are having a good time and will make this their destination more often.

This

Gift tags

Here are some gift tags I made.

I bought some embossing folders and run them through my pasta machine.  I am trying to resist buying a Cuttlebug.  I can just emboss with the pasta machine.  If I want to make die cuts I will end up buying a Cuttlebug.

Card making

I see so many people make such beautiful cards I wanted to give it a try.  I am a long way from making cards that can compare to them but its coming along I hope.  Here are two cards I made for a family in our church who had a death.

Pretty much

A dress for Kastyn and a dress for her doll

My granddaughter received a doll for Christmas and asked me to make matching dresses for her and her doll.  I made these pillowcase type dresses in answer to her plea.  If they fit I will make more of them.  I took lots of measurements and notes so I will be able to adjust as needed.  I hope both dresses fit because they are so cute.

Garden update

 

This is a tour of my little garden.  Its a smallish fenced area of patio that was not being used.  We bought an old dog pen that had a door and makeshift fenced the area.  About two years ago we built the two cinder block raised beds and filled them with rotted horse manure.  That was the extent of my garden until I bought a few of the black tubs from a rancher.

 

 

 Left to right in the pictures above and below.  3 jalapeno plants, 3 jalapeno plants, red onions in one tub, green onions in the next tub, then another tub of red onions followed by two tubs of garlic, one tub of cucumbers and two tubs of green pepper plants.

 In the background is a tomato plant, three Brussels sprouts and a swiss chard on the left.

 This bed has lettuce, cilantro, and spinach and a few tired looking green pepper plants.

 Three of these tubs have cabbage, one has zucchini and one has yellow squash.  The last one will have more cucumbers.  I haven't decided what to plant after I harvest the cabbage, probably more squash because we love it.  Or maybe bush beans.

This is the flower bed at the front of my house.  I never planted flowers there so I decided to use it to grow tomatoes.  I cut the bottom off the 5 gallon buckets and Hannah buried them about half way.  She then filled them with super dirt which we bought for $25.00 a pickup load from a town close by that makes it.  Its suppose to be 100% organic.  I've spoken to people who have used the super dirt and they have had great success.  Its certainly cheaper than a bunch of bags of potting soil or manure or what ever.  It looks like good stuff.  We just have about 2-3 black tubs worth of it left in the back of the pick up.  I'm hoping it does well.  I would like to plant about 6 more tomato plants out front so I can can up a bunch of tomatoes but I don't know if Hannah will go for burying any more 5 gallon buckets.  She said it was a hard job, much harder than hauling all that super dirt to the back yard and garden to put in the black tubs.  Go figure.  In any case I am pleased with my garden so far this year.  My goal is to expand a little each year.  I did that by adding 10 black tubs in the raised bed area and the 6 tomato buckets out front.  I will continue to expand as I am able and Hannah and Jeff will help me.  I like providing our family with food.  I know Hannah loves walking outside and picking vegetable that she needs for the recipes she is making.

Making hair bows

After spending way too much on professionally made hair bows for my granddaughter I decided to try my hand at making some.  They are sure harder to make then I thought.  I did get fairly good at a couple of simple designs.  I will keep trying and  I will get better.  These are my first tries.