MOVING SALE TURNED A REAL NEIGHBORHOOD SALE

Moving sale was advertised to start today.   BUT...yesterday we had a man come and buy the shed in the back yard.   Number one gone.   Then Ted put the signs up and I just happened to go to the garage to take something else out.   There was a woman going through the tables and she bought some stuff.  This is how the rest of the afternoon went.

Book case   -    Sold to neighbor  She wanted to corner cupboard so bad but no room

Towels, grill, perfume -  Sold to another neighbor     She got a free bottle of wine

CD and a LOT of free stuff - Sold to unknown man

Old lawn chair -  Sold to unknown lady

Then after supper another neighbor came wanting to see inside new camper.   Was it for sale?   Well, NO, we just bought it.    Well, why?    Well, we don't have a home.    WOW, it's really nice.  

They had had a little to drink and bought all the wine glasses I had out, the old mower that doesn't mow anymore, the rain barrel, some folding tables, the freezer, and will pick all of it up today but paid cash.

While they were here another  neighbor came and bought the corner cupboard.

I was exhausted.   Then who should show up but the buyers.   They didn't want my porch swing so now it's for sale too.  

SO...almost everything BIG sold to a neighbor and we have only 3 pieces of large furniture we would like to sell and the sale hasn't even started yet.    :)

This is a TRUE NEIGHBORHOOD SALE

SILENTLY WE CRY

I turned the television on to watch a game show and sew bit yesterday.   Then they broke in with the news - A bomb in Boston at the end of the Boston Marathon.  I sat in silence and watched people fall, being helped to what they hoped was safety.  The look on people's faces told the story.   Uncertainty of what was going on. 

We've seen this before.  Why here?   Why now?    Why do people hate us so?  

This morning I woke early and my heart sank as I realized that it had not been a dream.  So many people have posts on Facebook.   I just sit silently and let tears roll. 

A Little Nostalgia

We have done a lot of traveling since Ted retired but one of our greatest trips we took the year BEFORE he retired.  We DROVE THE ALCAN.  

Here is the book our friend, Elaine, got for us.  I hate to part with it, but it's time.

 

As you can see the name of this wonderful book is "THE MILEPOST".   You really need one of these to drive to Alaska.   Elaine had marked several great places to stop and things to see along the way.

One of our favorite places was Laird Hot Springs.    It was inside a Provincial Park.  The men that built the Alcan discovered this hot springs but now it has a nice wood walkway all around it and a place to change into your swim suit.   We spent a couple of days there and it is one of our favorite memories of the trip.   

 

The Milepost helps you find gas stations, restaurants, and places to sleep.   We, however, pulled our trusty Pop-Up camper and did fine till we discovered one night that the lock to the camper had fallen down inside.   The roads up there were different - to say the least.   We were gone for 5 1/2 weeks and only stayed in a Motel 3 nights.   We also stayed at a cousins house two nights.

 

We would be driving and see a sign for a water fall a mile off the road.   We'd park the camper and take off.   It took us a long time to get TO Alaska but not quite as long to come home.   We have two video's of this trip and quite a bit written out.  

 

SO...we will bid THE MILEPOST a fond farewell when we have our garage sale in a couple of weeks.   If it doesn't sell I'll probably see if the library would like to have one.   I'm sure it means more to Ted and I than anyone else.   What memories we have of that trip.   So glad we did it when we were young enough to enjoy it.    

Moving Stressful???

Dam Strait it is!!!!    Man, if this couple end up not buying this house you can forget thinking that I EVER stepped inside a church.

We've let them measure our house from top to bottom at least twice.   They have a buyer for their house now and it should be just a matter of us going ahead and buying the house we want.   BUT...no, we have been warned that we should wait to be sure their deal goes through.  I feel like we are being pulled from every side and then pulled once again. 

If we were risk takers we'd just forget all the warning signs and go ahead and buy the house we both love.   If someone in the neighborhood had a key maybe we could go get it and just move in.   I heard about a couple that did that one time.   They were a nice young couple that just wanted to buy a house.   

I'm packing and can tell you NO ONE will want to be within ear shot of me if I have to unpack all these boxes and put things away.   I might just go over the edge and throw it all away and go buy new stuff.    HMMM?????

SO...we wait for the other guy to get his job done, then hope we can get the place we want.    Somehow this just doesn't seem right but I guess if I were the other guy I wouldn't see anything wrong with it.    Stay tuned.   It might be an interesting blog next time. 

MOSAIC

Life is an interesting journey.   I've watched all our kids go after something in life.   It wasn't always what I would of chosen for them but they seemed to know what they wanted.   All have changed their vocations at least once.

Sometimes it's not a career change that impresses me the most.   All have an artist eye and I do not so that really intrigues me.

Recently Kim started working with Mosaic.   She has made some really beautiful pieces.  Last Fall she gave me a ball she made and now I have two smaller ones to match.  

Another piece she did and I had seen on her blog but figured she had already given it away came home with me too.    I have it in the kitchen and really think I need to line my backsplash with this type of decoration.

HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN - JIGGITY JOG

At 6:01 a.m. last Friday morning we pulled out of our garage, headed to Normal, Illinois and a fun week-end with daughter number one and her family.

First we took a little side trip to see some friends that have had a few bumps in their road.   We have known this couple for 56 years and last year Larry developed a few health problems - quite a few.   They are both of strong faith and handled everything the Doctors threw at them without flinching until a couple of months ago Larry started loosing sight in one eye.   They are treating this now and hopefully what they are doing will help.

After a good visit and a wonderful lunch we once again got into our trusty little Chevrolet and headed north.

Everyone was home by the time we arrived.   It's always fun to GET THERE - no matter where you are going.    We don't get to see these kids very often and have a lot of catching up to do.

Kim was really tired Friday night and of course we were too so an early evening was called and everyone went to bed early, well ALMOST everyone.    If Jeremiah stayed up his grandmother did not hear him.

Saturday morning we all got to see Sierra play basketball.   A few years ago we all agreed if she ever got over being afraid of the ball she would be a good player.  Our forecast came true.   She is NOT afraid of the ball and she IS a good player now.   Oh that I may live long enough to see what she decides to do with her life.

After the pictures were taken I noticed Jeremiah had on a fancy, dancy sweatshirt.   Here he is strutting his stuff.   Benjamin wears a "BAMA" shirt and Jeremiah came up with "KENTUCKY"   No ISU or U of I?

The week-end went by way too fast.   We always have a good time when we go visit these two wildies.  We wish they lived closer to us.  

It was a fun week-end but when we left this morning we were glad to be going SOUTH and having the promise of warmer temperatures.

Tomorrow I'll write about my new decorations for our house that came home with us.

Her Name Is Ruth

Ted and I decided this week we wanted to sponsor a second child in Uganda.   This time we asked for a little girl.

I emailed David and he said he would be in touch. 

Last night I was at a meeting and David came up to me after the meeting and was so excited.   He said he had a little girl for us and her name was Ruth.   She has been sponsored but the lady that was sponsoring her decided to go back to school and could not afford it anymore.

This little girl has a LOT of siblings and lives with her grandparents.   David tells me that the picture here is NOT all her family.  

He told me last night she was one cute little girl and when I look into this face and the sparkle in those beautiful eyes I see what he's talking about.   I looked at this picture for a long time and wish I could see her in person and speak to her.   I'd like to know what she likes to do and what some of her feelings are.

I'm excited about this and hope someone will be able to go see her for us when the group from church go to Uganda this summer.   Oh how I wish I could go.

This is a picture of the family or part of them anyway.   Ruth is the little girl in front with the floppy shoes on.  I have another one of her later that I cannot seem to download.   Maybe later. 

ANYWAY...I think Good Will and I will be seeing a lot of each other from the looks of her siblings.   Oh, yes, did I tell you her name is RUTH?