Grandmother's China

I spent the day with my grandmother yesterday, which might sound strange to some since she passed away in January. Several years ago, when she moved to a senior housing complex, she passed her china down to me. Since then, it has been packed away safely so nothing would happen to it. I’m still trying to figure out why I had it packed away so carefully when that’s not what she would have wanted me to do with it. I remember eating off that very same china as a child, so it's obvious she didn't stow it away safely somewhere just waiting for the "perfect occasion". Every day was the "perfect occasion", which is why she used it and enjoyed it on a daily basis and I finally figured out that that’s exactly what she’d want me to do. That’s why I say I spent the day with my grandmother yesterday. I cleaned out enough space in my kitchen cabinets to put my “new” china away and then I unpacked it and washed it all by hand. I pictured her long fingers, with neatly manicured nails and sparkling rings, washing the very same dishes years before. When I dropped a saucer and it broke, I caught myself thinking “Well, I swanee”, which was one of her favorite sayings. I “talked” to her all day and I could hear her telling me how proud she was of me and how I was “smarter than a whipper-snapper”. I didn’t get to see my grandmother often enough, growing up, because we lived about 350 miles away from her. As I became an adult, life got busier, and I didn’t make as much time as I should have to go see her. She was a super-duper, incredible lady and I miss her tremendously. This picture was taken during my last visit with her in June 2007. I love you, "Big Mama"!!

I managed to get one card made this weekend. Curtis needed a couple of cards for customers. He needed one sympathy card and a ‘get well’ card. I made two of the same design because this card would really work for just about any occasion since it doesn’t have a sentiment on it. I used last week’s SCS color challenge, which was Chocolate Chip, Sage Shadow, and Very Vanilla. The flower is stamped in Sage Shadow classic ink and is from the ‘Heartfelt Thanks’ stamp set. The Sage Shadow panel was embossed using a Cuttlebug embossing folder. The ribbon is wide Chocolate Chip satin ribbon that was available last Christmas from SU!
Hope your week is off to a good start! Toodles!

Who Knew PMS Was So Much Fun??

We had a GREAT time with PMS again this month. We made eight all-occasion greeting cards similar to these two using the "Fun & Fast Notes" stamp set. The images were stamped with Jet Black StazOn and then we water colored them with classic inks, Aqua painter, and/or blender pens.






















Our next project was a gift tote and monogrammed note cards. I had seen the idea for these cards somewhere before, although I don't remember exactly where. I love the way these sets turned out. They were relatively simple and quick to put together.


























My step-daughter, Lauren, was able to spend some time stamping with the ladies this month. She just turned 10 last month and is VERY artsy-fartsy. She had a good time stamping with us. She's a sassy little thang, too, so she fit right in with the rest of us! The tote and cards below are the ones she made for her fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Gist, who is retiring this year. I had run completely out of Chocolate Chip and Soft Sky cardstock by the time I knew Lauren would be stamping with us, so hers was made with Purely Pomegranate and Pretty In Pink. I think it looks absolutely SMASHING!























I feel like I cheated making this card. The color challenge on SCS, this week, is River Rock, Basic Black, and Whisper White. The new "Essence of Love" stamp set came to mind immediately when I started thinking about those colors together. That set will be available on March 1st in the new Occasions Mini Catalog. Both images were stamped with Basic Black craft ink and then heat embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. A piece of black organdy ribbon was tied across the Whisper White piece. It turned out to be a very elegant card and took about five minutes to put together.









I made a trip to see my brother and his family last night. This is Miss Emily, my niece who was born on October 31st. She's SO sweet... like that's not obvious! She's spoiled rotten, too, so I have a feeling she's going to be a little stinker! What an angel, though... don't you think?

TTFN!

In an effort to look like Bruce Willis (because I think Bruce is just pretty darned hot), my husband had his head shaved before I got home from work today. HHHHHMMMMMM....

Christmas Photos

I realized, sometime in the middle of the night last night, that I hadn't posted a link to any photos from our Christmas celebrations. We had a wonderful time with our family in Iowa, although the trip was much too short. We were "treated" to snow while we were there and temperatures that weren't meant for human enjoyment. It was even too cold for Ernie - he'd bound out the door and right into a snow drift, where he'd promptly squat and jump back out as quickly as he'd gone in. Alice and I went shopping at a little boutique in Prairie City called "All Around The House". It was a crafty little place, so it was right up my alley! I found a really pretty red crock and red dessert bowls to match my kitchen. I don't think I've used another bowl for anything since we got back home. They've come in especially handy since I'm on the liquid tonsillectomy diet. I really think everything tastes better when eaten from a red dessert bowl! Here are pictures from our visit to Iowa:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.cfp1j0ew&x=0&y=ghcrsr

We spend Christmas Eve with family here, in Missouri. Instead of buying gifts for everyone, this year, we had a "Chinese Christmas". That was, especially, fun so I hope we continue to do that in years to come. Mom and Dad had their house decorated really neat for the holidays. They had made luminaries from paper bags with stars punched in them and had placed them along their driveway. They were beautiful!! The decorations inside were gorgeous, too. Everyone brought "snacky" food and there was still a LOT left even after we were all stuffed! Here are pictures from our Christmas celebrations at my parents' house:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.69m0z8bc&x=0&y=-9pim5x

Here is another card I made, this morning, from today's sketch challenge on Splitcoast Stampers. The designer paper is from Hobby Lobby (Memory Block) and I used SU cardstock in Tempting Turquoise, Ruby Red, Cameo Coral, Blush Blossom, and Whisper White. The bird was stamped on designer paper, cut out, and then pieced over the same image stamped on Whisper White CS. The flowers are from the same stamp set (A Little Birdie Told Me) and are colored with SU markers. The ribbon is from Hobby Lobby.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Curtis and I are celebrating Thanksgiving alone today. We celebrated with my family this past Sunday and had a WONDERFUL time. We all got together at the home of my brother, Derek, and his girlfriend, Tammy. They're the ones with the brand new baby girl, Emily. I think there were 14 of us all together. Everyone brought something to contribute to our Thanksgiving dinner and the food was DELICIOUS! I have added a link to the pictures we took at our feast, so be sure to check out the pictures of the desserts my parents made! They were incredible! I ate so much at lunch on Sunday, that I wasn't able to eat dessert, so Mom wrapped some up for me and sent it home. It was absolutely fantabulous when I ate it the next day, so I know it was "to die for" on Sunday! I spent most of the day with Emily in my arms. It's just so darned hard to put her down!! ...Makes me want one even more! Here are the pictures from Sunday...

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.amyvxawg&x=0&y=ps6kk4

I cooked a turkey breast for the two of us today. We also had broccoli & rice casserole, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, gravy, hot rolls, pineapple fluff salad, and cranberry salad. I know it probably sounds ridiculous to spend all morning in the kitchen for two people, but I LOVE a traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day. While I was cooking, Curtis cleaned some of the leaves out of the yard. Late this afternoon we watched a movie and I think we're getting ready to watch another one. It's been a wonderful, quiet, lazy day. I love these kinds of days!

Chiefs 27, Broncos 11

Curtis and I enjoyed the Chiefs game yesterday, even though the Chiefs didn't fare so well. The weather was perfect - overcast with a high in the low 70's. We enjoyed some top-notch stadium dining for lunch. My quarter-pound hot dog was "to die for" and Curt had a brat. By the time we split an order of nachos and a diet coke, we were set back $25.00 for lunch, but it's all about the experience, right??? It was a fun day and I think we were both exhausted on the way back home. I say "I think" because I slept part of the way back home. I'm fairly certain that Curtis was pooped, too, but he was driving. Here is a link to some pictures from the game...

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.5l4sklao&x=0&y=8msan8

This next photo is a card I made today using the "Thoroughly Thankful" stamp set and the "Fall Flowers" DSP. I used Soft Sky CS for the base and Soft Sky and Really Rust for matting. The images are stamped using Basic Black Classic ink and are watercolored using the classic ink refills in Really Rust, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, and Summer Sun. I added a bow using the SU double-stitched ribbon in Soft Sky. It turned out to be a very cheerful card! I did NOT add any bling to this card, whatsoever, which was VERY hard for me to do!!

Where Do I Begin?

Where do I begin? It's been an exhausting few days and I have lots to share with you.
My niece, Emily Katherine, was born Wednesday morning at 4:17 AM. Her parents are my brother, Derek, and his girlfriend, Tammy. Tammy had been induced on Monday morning, but didn't go into hard labor until Tuesday afternoon. By 11 PM on Tuesday, they were predicting that Emily would be delivered within an hour. Curtis and I packed up and left our house for the hour and a half drive at 11 PM. We arrived at the hospital around 12:30 AM and my parents met us at the front door. ...No baby, yet... So we all went back to the waiting room. By 3 AM, the doctor had tried everything possible and decided that they should perform a c-section. Emily finally arrived at 4:17 AM. She weighed 5 pounds 15 ounces and was 17 1/2 inches long. I talked to Derek today and they're all doing fine. They're having a hard time getting Emily to nurse, but they're working on that. Tammy is in quite a bit of pain due to the surgery and the length of her labor. Derek sounded tired, but I know he's really excited and very proud. Here is a link to the pictures I took at the hospital...



http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.3wm0tsrc&x=0&y=r7zx02


Curt and I left to come back to Springfield around 5:30 AM yesterday morning. We got back to the house just in time to get ready for work. I had two friends at work who were counting on me being in full costume, for Halloween, and working all day, so there wasn't any getting out of it!! We dressed as "Cat In The Hat", "Thing 1", and "Thing 2". Any of you who have ever seen "The Cat In The Hat Movie" know that the three HAVE to be together. We had a costume contest at work and I think there were about 20 participants. Joni, Christy, and I won first place!!! WOO-HOO!! I picked Branden and Lauren up from school at 3:30 PM and took them back to work with me, where they changed into their "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" costumes. Our office always has trick-or-treating from 3 PM to 5 PM on Halloween and the employees bring their kids. Our costumes were a big hit!! The kids costumes were homemade. My "Cat In The Hat" costume was purchased, but I ripped the stitching out of the bow-tie and the tail so I could stuff them. It just looked better when some parts of the costume had dimension to them. The kids and I went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood for about an hour and a half last night. The weather was great, especially since we were wearing warm costumes. We opted to walk while trick-or-treating instead of driving, which turned out to be VERY fun. Our costumes were a big hit with everyone we saw last night, too. Lots of people stopped to roll their windows down and tell us how great we looked and how much they liked our costumes. It made me super-duper proud!! Here are some pictures of our day of Halloween fun. My friends, Joni and Christy, are the tall "Things" and Branden and Lauren are the short "things" (OBVIOUSLY!!).



http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.7lpz3b88&x=0&y=il2vw4


We called Curtis to come pick us up from trick-or-treating around 7 PM. Branden was the one who decided it was time to quit. I think he was tired of me telling him to say "thank you" when candy was given to him. I was exhausted since I hadn't had any sleep since Monday morning so I wasn't disappointed, at all, when they decided we were finished. It wasn't like they didn't have enough candy to last all year! Hhhhmmmmm... I wonder if they'd miss any chocolate if "something" happened to it??? Anyway, we got back to the house and took some pictures. Curtis stuck a couple of pizzas in the oven and I got in the shower. I couldn't wait to get that paint off my face and out of my hair!! Branden and Lauren wanted to stay in their costumes, so they greeted trick-or-treaters at the door for the rest of the evening. I finally got to bed around 8:45 PM and my alarm went off WAY too early this morning. Actually, I think I feel more tired today than I did yesterday! It's almost like the nine hours of sleep I got last night was just a teaser!


I'm taking the day off tomorrow and will be making a trip to Houston to see Emily, Derek, and Tammy. I'll be sure to take my camera and will post more pictures of Emily and her proud family when I get back.


Oh... I almost forgot. I stamped a gift bag for Emily's gifts, earlier this week, and here it is...
I don't know that I'm completely happy with the way it turned out, but everyone else liked it and that's all that matters.


Well... that's what's been happening in my world this week. I hope you're all having a great week and I'll try to post again soon! TTFN!!

The Haunted Corn Maze

I guess I haven't been in the mood to post lately. I've been working on some crafty projects, but can't post pictures because they're gifts that haven't been given. Once they're out of my hands and in the hands of the recipients, I'll post the pictures. Until then... it's TOP SECRET!!

We went to a haunted corn maze in Verona, MO this past weekend and had a screaming good time. I don't know who was more scared - me or the kids. They'd probably all say it was me, but I would have to argue. The corn maze was located on seven acres in the middle of nowhere. There were other activities, as well, including "pumkin chuckin" (see photos of kids with mini pumpkins in the slingshot) and a hay ride. We skipped on the hay ride since it would have been an additional $6 per person. Instead, we used our money wisely and paid someone to scare the pee-waddin' out of us in the middle of a cornfield in Verona, MO. Here is a link to some of the pictures we took.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.246kvfeg&x=0&y=pa2nh1

I'll try to post more later. I haven't had time, lately, to work on any new cards. I'm hoping to be able to do so by the end of this coming weekend. TTFN!

I DID IT!!!!

Saturday morning turned out to be very chilly for the start of the MS ride. I think the temp was in the mid 40's as we crossed the start line around 7:20 am. There were about 1,000 riders who signed up for the ride and I think we wound up with about 900 people who actually rode. About the time my odometer rolled to 42 miles it started to sprinkle on me. By the time I hit mile 60, I was riding in a thunderstorm with steady rains. I think we had hit the high for the day, by that time, which was somewhere in the low to mid 50's. The National MS Society had mapped out two routes - one of which was for 85 miles for those who just wanted to ride the "short" route and another that was 100 miles for the overachievers. I don't know if I missed my turn because it was difficult to see with the rain and sweat in my eyes, or if I was traveling with a group who intended to ride the century route. Whatever the case may be, I wound up on the century route and logged just under 100 miles by the time I finished on Saturday. I crossed the finish line in Joplin on the first day around 3:10 pm, which was not too bad for me given the circumstances. I took my bike to the "lock-up" area where they were keeping bikes overnight and I headed for a warm room at the Holiday Inn. I got there around 4 pm and there were several other bikers standing in the lobby waiting for a room. We had all pre-registered, but housekeeping didn't have rooms ready for us. Finally, at 4:30 pm, they had a room ready for me. I checked in and took the longest hot shower/bath in history. By that time, I was having pretty bad upper respiratory problems which, I'm sure, was a combination of pollen, cold air, and being wet and cold most of the day. Curt met me in Joplin around 6:30 pm on Saturday and we made a trip to Wal-Mart for some allergy meds and a sweater since I had no idea I'd need to pack for arctic weather. By the time Sunday rolled around, I didn't feel too bad. I got up, got dressed, checked out of the hotel, and headed back to Joplin High School to pick up my bike. I got my tires aired up and was in the lineup by 6:50 am. We crossed the starting line in Joplin right on time at 7 am. Not too far into the ride I started questioning whether or not I could make it back to Willard, which was almost 84 miles away. When I made it to the first rest stop, I started telling myself that I just had to make it to the next rest stop, all of which were about 10 to 12 miles apart. Every time I stopped, I'd take at least 10 minutes to stretch, have a snack, and replenish my drink bottles. About 15 miles from the finish line I wound up in the middle of another thunderstorm. The rain wasn't too bad and wasn't nearly as miserable as it had been on Saturday since the temperature was about 20 degrees higher. The lightning was incredible. I saw a couple of bolts of cloud-to-ground lightning, one of which hit in a wooded area across a field to my right. The sound of the "crackle" was fierce and shortly afterward I saw smoke rising out of the trees where it had hit. Had I been in a car, I never would have experienced that the way I did riding cross-country on a bicycle. I don't know how I made it back. A lot of the time I prayed or I told myself that I might be hurting, but that it was nothing compared to having MS. With God's help and a lot of determination I crossed the finish line in Willard at 3:20 pm yesterday. The total on my odometer for the weekend was right at 185 miles. I'm not hurting too bad today and am taking Robitussin for my wicked cough. I scheduled the day off from work since I wasn't too sure how I'd be feeling after the weekend, so I can lay around and stretch all day if I need to. I have included a link to some pictures below. I'm hoping to get some photos that were taken by professional photographers who were stationed along the route both days. If (when) I get those, I'll post them, as well.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.446j9kow&x=0&y=-4gor25

Thank you, again, to all of you for your prayers, encouragement, and for your donations to the National MS Society in sponsoring my ride. The funds will, most definitely, be used for a worthy cause. I hope to be writing about the MS150 again - about this time next year!

Things I Learned Today

The 70-ish mile ride that was to be held yesterday was postponed due to rain. It was postponed until this morning at 8 am. I toughed out the entire 74-point-something miles and I'm sure I'm a better person for it. I am also sure that I won't really believe that until the soreness and the tightness are worked out and I've had a good 8 hours of sleep. The ride today is, supposedly, much more hilly than the MS150. Now I know that I am quite capable of finishing at least half of the ride. With a good night's sleep and a hot meal at the end of the first day, I think I'll do okay on day two, as well.

Here is SOME of what I learned today...

• MOST grasshoppers are not fast enough to avoid a bicycle tire. Let me explain. I've had a fear of most buglike creatures, grasshoppers being one of those. I know it's a silly fear - grasshoppers won't hurt me. BUT... they have those rough, hairy legs and big, buggy eyes and they spit their chewing tobacco on you if given the chance. SSSSOOOO... I aimed at them, when I saw them on the road, with my bicycle tires today. They're rather crunchy.
• A dead skunk's scent FAR outlasts the flesh. I would have never believed it, but I smelled it before I saw it. There was nothing left but bones, fur, and stink.
• This isn't really something I learned, but something I experienced for the first time. At one point during our ride, we drove down a farm road that had corn fields growing right up next to the road on both sides. The stalks had all dried up and were brown. I had heard of the "rustling" sound when the wind blows through the corn stalks, but had never heard it with my own two ears. I LOVE that sound!
• Not all dogs are friendly. I didn't try to pet him, or anything, as he was running at breakneck speed with his fangs near my ankle, but I didn't know I was capable of accelerating that fast up a hill after I'd already ridden 50 miles. Think I'll get some pepper spray.

That's about all I can think of right now. I'm sure I learned other interesting things, too, but I'm too pooped to remember what they were. I made a new card last night that's pretty nifty, but I'm too tired to take any pictures and upload them. I'll try to remember to do that tomorrow. I'm planning on a short ride tomorrow - only 20 to 25 miles. That one should be a breath of fresh air after today's ride!! TTFN!

I'M AN AUNT!!!! (Again)

Peyton Elizabeth Rollins entered the world sometime around 6:00 P.M. Pacific Standard Time (I don't have exact info since I haven't talked to Tiffani (the new mommy) yet). She weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces and was 19 inches long. Peyton is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to meet her! She's my very first niece on my side of the family and I'm SSSOOO excited (like that's not obvious)!! I also have two fabulous nieces on Curt's side of the family!

This is the proud daddy and my brother, Tim. I tried to call him, but he must be busy (go figure) because he didn't answer his cell phone.

TTFN!

Short (But Sweet) Trip

Well, I'm back from Chicago and we had an AWESOME time! Sue and I spent the weekend at David and Karie's. Eric and Alysia were there, too. I absolutely adore the two sisters-in-law, whom I've met, and I'm sure I'll love Tiffani when I have the opportunity to meet her, as well. Saturday afternoon we made a trip to Lisle, IL to visit my Uncle Len and Aunt Gail for a cookout. The hospitality and the food were fabulous and there was never a second when I didn't feel like family. I was also able to meet my cousin (second cousin, I believe), Bob and his wife, Lynn. After dinner, we all moved to the living room where David, Bob, and Uncle Len entertained us by playing the guitar and banjo and singing. I enjoyed talking to everyone SO much and really wasn't ready to leave when it was time to go. David cooked breakfast for us on Saturday and Sunday and he is an excellent cook. I also met my Nephew, Caleb, and he is SUCH a cutie! It was just a great weekend filled with fun and family. I am so blessed!

Here is a link to pictures from the weekend. Some of them were taken without a flash because I was trying to "sneak" them, so they're pretty grainy. Most of them turned out okay, though.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.afsd4fxk&x=0&h=1&y=290e5t

If you would like copies of any of the photos, please e-mail me at jegoslee@sbcglobal.net and I'll print them and mail them to you. Please indicate which photos you'd like to have. You can also order them through my Kodak gallery. TTFN!

Catching Up

Okay... I have a TON of catching up to do, but I'm going to keep this short and sweet. The 2007 Stampin' Up! Convention in Denver, CO was AWESOME!!! Gwen and I had a great time, which can be proved by almost 600 photos that I took and approximately 1,000 that Gwen took. I'm not going to share those photos just yet. Most of them are ideas for future classes/workshops, but as soon as I can get them sorted I'll try to post some of the other pictures. Unfortunately, convention didn't leave much free time for sight-seeing. Since we arrived the afternoon before convention started and left before it was over, we really didn't have time to explore. I saw just enough, though, to know that I want to go back to Colorado for a vacation sometime SOON!!

Curtis and I made a trip to Independence, MO yesterday to pick the kids up. They had been staying with their Ye-Ye (Grandfather in Chinese) and Nai-Nai (Grandmother in Chinese) in Iowa and we met up with them at our Uncle Jim and Aunt Helen's in Independence. Nicole and Tony (Curt's sister and her husband) were also there with their three kids (Rachel, Allison, and Jason) and traveled from Iowa with Ye-Ye and Nai-Nai. We had a "mini" family reunion at lunchtime today. The other attendees were Uncle Don and Aunt Rosalia; Crystal (Curt's cousin and Uncle Don and Aunt Rosalia's daughter) and her son, Christian; Mary Jane (Curt's cousin and Uncle Don and Aunt Rosalia's daughter-in-law) and her son, William. While sitting at the dinner table, I think I counted 12 adults and 7 children. It was a great time!! Uncle Jim and Aunt Helen are always SO gracious to allow us all to visit them - especially at the same time! I would say that they are, by far, the nicest people I have ever known, but I think I'd have to say that about Curt's entire family! I have included a link to the pictures I took this weekend below. If you would like copies of any of these, please let me know and I'll try to get them in the mail to you. The last three pictures are quite humorous. Ernie rode in the back seat with the kids and all three of them were snoozing. Ernie had his head resting on Lauren's leg and his other end was up against Branden's bottom side. Cute!! We got back home late this afternoon and I think I'm ready for a vacation from my vacation!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.82jzwd0o&x=0&h=1&y=-kj1r4l

I almost forgot... my latest creations!! On Saturday, I was waiting for Curtis to get home from work so we could leave for Independence. It was the middle of the day and I was exhausted from my trip to Colorado, but I didn't want to take a nap for fear that I wouldn't want to get up when he got home. I had some memo pads left over from the swaps I made for convention, so I made one for each of my neices (Rachel and Allison) and my nephew (Jason). This is what they looked like...

What A Terrific Weekend!!

I don't even know where to start. I met my three brothers for the first time this weekend and we had a GREAT time! I drove down to Branson Friday afternoon. Eric and Tim were already there and David was due later that evening. Eric, Tim, Sue and I went to a matinee on Friday afternoon and out for dinner that evening. David didn't get in until around 1 A.M. on Saturday morning, but we were all still waiting up for him. We stayed up, talking, until sometime around 2 A.M. Saturday morning. Saturday, we all got up and went out for breakfast at the Branson Cafe' before heading out for our hike in the Ponca Wilderness in northern Arkansas. Sue had taken Curtis and I on the hike a couple of weeks ago, but we took a different way back up the mountain this time. While we were at the bottom of the mountain, at the waterfall, we met a couple who were obviously experienced hikers. They told us that they knew a shorter way back up the mountain, but that it would be a little more steep and might require ropes to scale some of the rocks. They had already put the ropes in place, earlier in the day, with the intention of going back up that way. Tim decided that he'd go back up the same way we came down because he wanted to run back up. If I remember correctly, there may have been some sort of bet about whether or not he'd beat the rest of us to the top if we took the shortcut. About a third of the way up the mountain (after scaling the rocks that required ropes) the couple we had met up with at Hemmed-In Hollow wanted to show us a series of waterfalls that had pools of water between each fall. We all stopped and took our shoes off to wade through the pools and to climb down as far as we could. I was the last one to start down and hadn't made it very far when Eric said "I think I just broke my finger". Fortunately, I didn't see it happen. As he was climbing down, he started to slip and tried to grab onto the walls of the rocks to catch himself. In doing so, his ring finger on his left hand got caught in a hole and bent it completely sideways across his little finger. He had his wits about him much more than I would have because he grabbed the finger and popped it back into place and then removed his wedding band before it started swelling. The water we were in was ice cold, so he held that hand in the water for quite a while before we started back up. We were devising a makeshift splint when he decided that he thought he'd be fine without it and so we started making our way back to the top of the mountain again. We were never really "lost", so to speak, but there were several times that we were unsure about which way to proceed up the mountain. We finally came to a clearing and could tell that we had reached the top, but we still weren't back to the Compton Trailhead where we started. We were fairly confident that we were headed in the right direction, so we kept going. We finally reached the car around 5:30 P.M. Tim was waiting for us and said that he had made it back up in 39 minutes. The rest of us made it back to the top in roughly 2 1/2 hours. I guess you won that bet, Tim!! On the way back to Branson, we decided that we'd all go back to Sue's to start taking showers since we were meeting Curtis for dinner at Cantina Laredo on the Branson Landing. Eric and Sue took their showers first and then headed for urgent care to have them take a look at his hand. Urgent care was closed, so he decided he'd wait until morning to go back. The rest of us finished getting ready and Curtis picked me, Tim, and David up at the house so we could meet Eric and Sue at the Landing. We had a really good dinner at Cantina Laredo and then walked around Branson Landing for a while. Curtis headed back to Springfield since he would be leaving early this morning for a trip to Iowa. Tim's flight left this morning around 6:55, so he and Sue and I left around 4:30 A.M. to take him to the Springfield airport. He made it safely back to Phoenix sometime around noon (CST) today. When we got back to Branson after taking Tim to the airport, I went back to bed and Sue took Eric to urgent care. His finger wasn't broken, but one of the bones in the top of his hand was broken. The doctor said that he, most likely, pulled the finger out of socket, which put enough stress on that bone to break it. They put a splint on it, wrapped it tightly, and instructed him to see an orthopedic surgeon upon returning to Phoenix. When Sue and Eric returned from the hospital, the three of us and David left for Berryville, AR to meet my great-aunt Alice. She prepared lunch for us and was a wonderful hostess. The food was delicious and I absolutely loved visiting with her. As we were leaving, she pointed to a vase of roses on the table and said that they were for me. I came home with a beautiful bouquet of 18 various colored roses. Thank you, Aunt Alice!! You're a sweetheart! David left around 3 P.M., from Berryville, for his drive back to Chicago. Sue talked to him a couple of times after he left to make sure he was doing okay since no one got much sleep this weekend. I haven't heard from anyone yet, so I'm assuming he made it home safely. Sue, Eric, and I left Aunt Alice's house around 5:30 P.M. and drove back to Branson. I got all my things packed and loaded into the car and was on my way back home by 6:30 P.M. Eric's flight leaves from Springfield tomorrow at noon, so he and Sue will be stopping by tomorrow morning to pick me up for breakfast so I can say goodbye to him before he leaves. Despite Eric breaking his hand, I think we all had a pretty good time this weekend. I'm so glad to have found them and to have met them and I hope to continue to have contact with all of them. Hopefully, I can meet their families sometime soon. Below is a link to some of the pictures I took this weekend. Most of them were taken on our hike. There is a group photo that Curtis took of all of us at the Branson Landing and a couple of photos of me and Aunt Alice. Isn't she beautiful? I'm going to close for now. It's getting late and it's been an exciting, but exhausting weekend.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.38d9owww&x=0&h=1&y=lz0f7a

Compton Trail & Hemmed-In Hollow

Curtis and I went hiking with Sue yesterday in the mountains of northern Arkansas. We started our hike in Compton , AR at the Compton Trailhead and hiked down to Hemmed-In Hollow. The hike down was 2.5 miles and the best I can tell, from internet research, the total elevation is around 1,300 feet. It was an extremely steep climb, but the waterfall was well worth it. Hemmed-In Falls is the largest waterfall between the Rockies and the Appalachians with a height of approximately 200 feet. The hollow itself is about a mile long, ending in the Buffalo River. It is tight, steep, has a beautiful stream flowing through, and while in the hollow you just feel completely hidden from the rest of the world. Below is a link to some of the pictures we took. Let me know if you have problems viewing them by sending an e-mail to jegoslee@sbcglobal.net.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=nos1qyw.6h80juwg&Uy=-3od3bv&Ux=1

I also rode in the Tour De Loco in Mt. Vernon, MO on Saturday. I didn't take my camera with me and really didn't have time to stop for pictures, anyway. We, basically, rode a loop starting in Mt. Vernon and looping down around Aurora, Freistatt (it was, by no means, a direct route around Aurora and Freistatt), west to Sarcoxie, north and back east around Stotts City, and then back to Mt. Vernon. It was a VERY scenic ride and I saw some of the most beautiful Amish country I've ever seen in my life. A large portion of the ride was on county roads in Lawrence County - roads with no shoulder, no stripes, and that were almost too narrow to qualify as two lane roads. I met several Amish families in their buggies and saw their homes and farms as closely as I've ever seen them before. Their properties, I think, would be best described as "pristine". It was absolutely breathtaking. I didn't quite complete the entire ride of 65 miles. This ride actually started an hour later than most organized rides do this time of year. We started out at 8 am and the temperatures and the humidity escalated quite quickly. I made it to mile 56, where there was a rest stop, around 1 pm and got a ride from a SAG (support and gear) unit there. I was starting to feel light-headed and just weak, in general. I really think it was the heat and humidity that did me in. On the ride back to our starting point, I was extra thankful for the SAG units, since those last 10 miles would have been the most gruesome as far as the hills were concerned.

I'm taking the day off from work today in an attempt to recover from my weekend. I didn't feel too bad last night before going to bed, but I seem to have quite a bit of muscle stiffness today. That, coupled with my allergies, has me feeling exhausted and in need of some R & R. I didn't have much time for card-making this weekend, but I was able to squeeze in enough time to get one done. This card was made using the new 'Baroque Motifs' stamp set and inks from the 'Earth Elements' collection. The paper is from another one of those jumbo economy packs purchased at Hobby Lobby. I've been trying to challenge myself to use some colors and patterns that, normally, would not appeal to me. I have tons of non-SU paper that I need to use up or part with. Since I hate to part with things like that, I'm making an attempt to try to use some of it. TTFN!

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Mother's Day to everyone! We hope you enjoyed your day. Before telling you about ours, I have some catching up to do...

We had a WONDERFUL weekend last weekend with the Iowa Barrett's and the Stafford's. Unfortunately, no one thought to take pictures until Sunday morning as we were all getting ready to meet for breakfast. The Stafford kids spent the night at our house Saturday night, so these pictures were taken just before we left to meet the rest of the gang at Shoney's for breakfast. We're so glad they were all able to make the trip and that everyone enjoyed their visit. We sure enjoyed our time spent with them!! Here are a couple of pictures of all the grand kids (and the grand dog).

Curtis and I spent most of our day, today, putting a garden in. It was hard work, but I'm looking forward to the payoff when we pick the first ripe veggies. "Farmer Curtis" ran a rear-tine tiller for the first time in his life today. I think he enjoyed it, although he mentioned that it was quite a workout!

I'm not sure it shows in the picture or not, but Ernie's little face was green and brown by the end of the day. The brown came from rooting in the dirt and the green was from rolling around in the freshly cut grass while Curtis was mowing. He's definitely going to need a bath!