Our Iowa Trip (PART ONE)

we had a wonderful, whirlwind of a trip to Iowa that was exactly 15 days long!!! .......honestly, though i am so glad we did it....but 15 days is too long to be gone at one time...unless, as larry said......we were chillaxin around in a wonderful resort........not to belittle the trip, mind you........it is just too long to not be in my own bed!  i am so spoiled!  the older i get, the more i want my OWN bed!!!!....as wonderful as each and every guest bed we were in...nothing beats MINE!...smile... it is also just a little too long to live out of a suitcase...i have trouble with organization as it is...and organization in a suitcase...oh boy...watch out...pretty scary...i couldn't find anything in there....good thing i could zip it up and get it out of my sight and mind...until i needed it again...which was way too often!!! :)

we started our trip with an overnite stop to visit with our dear friends, Kim and Ray Nemeth and their daughter Elizabeth....we had not seen them in over 12 years....we were great friends when we lived in Pa. and our kidlets were toddlers...we had recently hooked up via the telephone and when they heard we were going to Ia.....they invited us to stop........and we are SO glad we did!  it wasn't long enuf...but oh my...it was a wonderful time...and LAUGH...oh my goodness...i needed those laughs SO much!...well,...let these pictures do the talking for me!

after wiping away tears of laughter, we said our goodbyes and got on the road...

we traveled from there to Bloomfield Iowa, where we were anticipating the reunion of 4 of us Faith Baptist Bible College friends!  Diana Davis was hostessing the event...and needless to say, it was fun-packed, laughing -packed and blessing-packed!...(except for the mouse incident...in which case my lungs got their work out THAT day!!!!)...one thing i love about REAL friends......it is easy to be silly...from the start...and if you know me...i guess you know i do silly quite well...here is an example:

and here are the men...Nanc...you were off shopping!

here is a little water color i did and framed it for the 4 of us:

after leaving Diana's on Monday...on the way to DesMoines...we made an afternoon stop in Pella, Iowa...and oh my !  we were so glad we did!  Pella was always a fave with us and especially at this time of the year when they have their tulip festival!...we were just in time for a grand display of tulips!  it was magnificent!!!  the weather was absolutely perfect and it certainly was a GRAND STOP!!  i begged Larry to let me go thru my most favoritest furniture store in the whole world...and of course he DID...and it did not disappoint...i absolutely LOVE every little thing they do and have in that store!!!  it was beyond what i could have expected!  i asked if i could take pictures and they graciously said OF COURSE!...and so i did...a bit too many to show here...but here are a few...

we had lunch at a favorite coffee shop here:

.. we caught up with computer stuff...

and the BEST stop...DUTCH LETTERS AT JAARSMA BAKERY, oh yeah, BABY!!....yum yum:

we walked thru central park and around the charming little town...we even got to see the puppet show as it played on the town square at the strike of 3:00!!!!  the tulips were gorgeous and i took so many pictures i can't even show all of them!!!...what a day!!!;

from there we traveled to DesMoines and stayed with the Alberhasky's...here is Joan...entertaining her grandchildren...this is a sign of a good grandma...when she is willing to be  under the table, playing with her grands...and by the way.......i would do the same thing and HAVE!!...kids love making tents and houses in the most of unusual ways!  we had a wonderful time at their house , they entertained us and took care of us in a most magnificent way!  we are so so spoiled by them!!!!!

we then traveled to Forest City to see my parents for the last leg of our journey

we're home!

blogging to follow...we got home late last nite...had a wonderful time in Iowa...have lots of pics to show....these are tulips in Pella, Iowa....we had a wonderful, beautiful afternoon there...just me and the hubs...it was wonderful!...lata!

i LOVE paper flowers!

here are a few of my paper flowers i am absolutely nuts over!!!...i learned how to do this from this site:http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-to-make-torn-paper-flowers.html.....this site is fabulous!!!...click on paper on left sidebar...and find out how to do many more kinds of paper and ribbon and fabric flowers!!!....along with a zillion other things to do on her site!!!

you GOTTA try this!

ok...this is so beyond darling! i am all of a sudden "so into" paper flowers!!!...they cost a fortune to buy...why not make them???...this is from a site called:littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com....check it out!...there are many more paper flowers to make on this site...plus about a million zillion other things too!!!...sorry , i can't get the link to work...still learning people...ugh...anyway...it is WORTH it to copy and paste! really!

ANNOUNCEMENT

okay....i would like to tell you my plan!!!...

it is this:

i am going to do something i have never seen done in blog world!..i said, i have never seen it done...that doesn't mean it hasn't been done!...what is it???????????

i am going to have a

BLOGARAGE SALE!!!

that's right...a blog-garage-sale!...right here on my website!...it is time to do some spring cleaning around here...i am going to post pictures of whatever i find around here with a reasonable price, plus shipping cost...new, used, handmade, vintage, WHATEVER!!!....

we are planning a long-awaited trip to my home state of Iowa to visit my parents and wonderful friends...sooooo....i will get this going when we get back...which will be the first week of May...so stay tuned!

my Christmas Cactus

...let me tell you about my Christmas Cactus....

it is "quite" old...it's beginnings came to me about 20 years ago from my dear mil, who has now gone to be with the Lord...on one of their visits to Iowa when we lived there..(where i was born, raised, married and raised my children)....anyhoo...she brought me several "clippings" from "mother" plants, who came from various and asundry other "mother" plants that ultimately came from Larry's grandmother, who we affectionately called "Mum Mum"...and where her little clippings came from?...well...that is up to the imagination, at this point...

i would guess she brought me at least 5 or 6 different colors and shades...which also meant 5 or 6 different pots for each one, right?....i was forever grateful for the gift of baby cc's...(really i was)....however, i had found out quite early in my young marriage when my bff's all produced spectacular specimens called plants, flowers and vegetables...that my thumb was NOT green...well...maybe it was...but it was putrid green...because it sure did not help me in that category, not one little bit...in other words.......i really STINK at growing indoor anything!..but i really wanted to "preserve" the tradition and absolutely LOVED the idea of having these little darlings around my house, where i could point out to inquisitive onlookers what a history they have!!!...

so....time went on...and, well, because i was not particularly inclined to "nurture" plants...they all just started looking pathetic to me...there they were...5 or 6 little pathetic pots sitting around my house and instead of luring interest through their infinite beauty...they really just pointed out what a HORRIBLE keeper of plants i was!.......i secretly wanted to dispose of them and forget that i ever tried....but i just couldn't!!!...finally one day i came up with a plan....WHY do i need that many pots sitting around looking so nasty...i just can't find it in myself to murder them......so how bout if i put them all together???....wow, good idea, i thought!!!....ONE NASTY POT is better than 5 or 6 nasty pots, right?..........so i found a large container...and dutifully planted each sickly little specimen!!!

well...somewhere along the line i was told that plants need nurturing...wow...there's a new concept!...(just like people, who knew?).......i was told there was actually PLANT FOOD!....you gotta be kiddin me???........so i got some...and carefully administered the precious life-giving substance...and

VOILA!!........after a few months...my "plants" started thriving and growing and thriving and growing!!!.........oh, i just could not wait to see what beyond fabulous show they would display at Christmas time!!!.........so....the Christmas season approached...i guess...late Fall...and i started seeing little baby buds...(there had been only a few small flowers previously).......and i was exited!!!.........and yup, just in time for Christmas...i did have a display....but guess what?....of only ONE color!...the bright fuschia color...and that has been the ONLY color to EVER bloom since!!!..........and this year...i had TWO lonely fuschia blooms!!!..........

the conclusion is...i am not cut out to raise indoor plants......but i have to say.....despite my horrible management of plant life...these 5 or 6 species continue to live under my care...anonymously, i guess...i still love the memory of where they came from!!!

...now...just one more little tidbit....SOOOOOOOOOO....the other day i realized my cactus was thirsty...so of course i got her some water, laced with PLANT FOOD.......and kind of leaned down into the plant, so as to not spill the water everywhere and all of a sudden i jumped away, spilling the water EVERYWHERE....because i saw THIS in the pot!!!

OH MY VERY WORD OF HONOR!!!..........as soon as i caught my breath...i remembered it was an ornament i had put there last summer!!!.........GOOD GRIEF!!!...........yes...*CRICKETS*........in the brain, for sure!!!

good morning MONDAY

oofta...it was hard to get up this morning...it has turned HOT , here in the big ATL and we have a furnace/AC prob...so we have not been able to run our air yet...(supposed to get fixed today...oh....hope hope hope...fingers crossed ten times over)...and seriously, it is so exceptionally "warm" in this place that i have not been able to sleep well...i finally tried the couch, which is directly UNDER a fan.....and still...HOT...ugh...i did finally drift off...gotta run off to work in a few...but wanted to post the address to our new business...i want to tell you about it, but no time today...but pleeeeeeeze click on the link and check it out...we aren't the kind of people who just "hook" up with just any ol company out there...NOR are we the kind of people who have EVER been particularly excited about becoming "salesmen"!!.....but in the event that Larry lost his job LAST June...(ugh ugh ugh)......he did extensive research on the net...and found this company...on his own...no one approached him...he did the research and rejected EVERY other company he looked in to, except THIS one...we have found the products to be phenomonal (sp?).....and the BEST thing...they WORK!...they do what they SAY....and they solve problems.....and in the long run they save money....we are very excited about it...well...gotta run....

PLEASE check it out...and let us know what you think!!!!/http//www.myvollara.com/esuite/home/clsystems

He is Risen!!!

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”- Hebrews 12:2

more vintage!

what a beautiful day it is here in Georgia, today! i would say Spring has definitely "arrived"!! it is supposed to be beautiful on Easter day as well!

on Saturday morning we will have our "annual" family Easter Egg Hunt...this time it will be in Heidi's front and back yard!!! i have most of my eggs ready to go...still have to get a few last minute items today! so pictures will be coming of that event! it usually brings lots of fun and laughter!

Larry and i have been faithfully walking in our newfound walking park....increasing our steps as our endurance increases!...we are now walking at least a mile and a half...and will continue to increase as much as possible!...the only TROUBLE is...everything is blooming and the longer i am outside...the more i suffer from allergies...so THAT really stinks...i wake up EVERY morning with a headache..not to mention all the other problems associated with allergies...and of course...Georgia is HORRID for allergies...soon we will see bright yellow pollen literally coated on everything..our white car will turn yellowish green...as well as everything else...NO KIDDING...we can only hope for rain when that happens to calm the fiendish stuff down!!

well...enuf chatter for now...again...enjoy the vintage images and please feel free to copy and paste...they are wonderful to have and to use!...oh...and IF you do copy and paste them...would you please leave me a comment??? i would love to hear from you!...Happy Easter!