Family Thanksgiving

We had a great time two weekends ago at my sisters for Thanksgiving. We got to see my nephew and his family. That was the first time I have seen them for a year. They have three kids and they have grown so much since the last time I saw them. My grandchildren are almost the same age so they all had little playmates to have fun with and they did! We had a great dinner, lots of good food and cleaning up was a good time too!

After every ones food was settled we decided to take the kids over to the motel and let them swim to help them burn off some the calories they ingested at dinner and to make sure they all slept good that night. I know me and my sister sure did. All the kids could swim except the youngest two boys. They kept us busy hopping in and out of the pool and the hot tub.Austin the youngest was a little apprehensive about getting into the pool but he warmed up to it quickly and was having as much fun as the other kids. My grandson Reese decided it would be a hoot to get a mouthful of ice cold water from the fountain and sneak up behind us then shower us with the water. It was quite a shock and he did it several times before we caught on to what he was doing.

I took me camera with to get lots of pictures and forgot to get any. I guess I will just have to remember this holiday. It was so much fun.

Crafts with the Grandkids

My grandchildren spent the last weekend with me and we started some holiday crafts to give as presents. They always enjoy making gifts for their mom and I think it gives them a sense of pride to make it themselves.

The project we did this past weekend was Max and Ruby place mats. I printed the mat off Nick.Jr. website and it had all the directions with them. The kids picked out two photos that they wanted to use and we cut them to size. The place mat is glued together and trimmed, then the pictures are glued to the picture windows on the place mat so it looks like they are looking out the windows. The kids had a great time and they did a really good job on them. It said to laminate them but we used clear contact paper because it was more cost effective. Now we just have to put the trim around the edges and then they can wrap them up!

The whole project was around fifteen dollars which isn't bad and we had a lot of the supplies left over that we can use for another project. I think the next one will be Christmas ornaments. I have seen a lot of good ideas that they would enjoy doing. Its so much fun to spend an afternoon working on crafts with the kids. We have snacks of course and hot chocolate if its cold, or soda if its warm out. Soda is a treat for them-mom doesn't allow them to have very often so at Grandmas its a treat.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Whoops!

I just noticed I have posted about my new puppy twice! I guess I have a one track mind! 

Getting ready for an addition to our family!

My new puppy was born on Halloween. She is a Brittany and is so pretty! We will get to pick her up around Dec.23. I hope the weather holds and there not snow on the ground. I will  be very disappointed if we don't get to go to Rockford to pick her up. She will be a house dog. My DOG! I love all our dogs but they are mostly hunting dogs so I am limited in how much I can spoil them (at least when Raymonds around, their master!)

I am thinking of naming her Bella. I like that name but I am still considering a few more. Brittany's are actually usually bred to be bird dogs but they make good companions too. They are quick learners and are children friendly if socialized correctly. The breeder we are getting her from does a wonderful job with that and we will continue the training when she gets here. Brittany's require a lot of exercise which means I will be spending a lot of time hiking across the fields expending her excess energy. It will be good for both of us.

I will post a picture of her as soon as I get one from the breeder. I have just seen her newborn picture so far.

Fall Back

Who decided it was a good idea to set the clocks back in the winter months? I will have to look into that and let that individual know that I don't like it because it makes it hard to enjoy the great outdoors when its dark out at 6:00 in the evening.

I like it being light out a little longer. The day doesn't seem so short and you can have a little time when its still light out when you get home. Oh well, I guess not everybody cares about that kind of thing, I just find it a little bothersome.

The days seem to be going faster and faster the older I get. I can remember when I thought time stood still while I was waiting for that age when I would get that all important drivers license.But it finally came time for me to get that document and afterwards it didn't hardly seem to matter. Funny how that works.

Hope everyone remembers to set their clocks back! Well maybe not  Everybody!

New Arrival on Halloween!

Our new puppy was born on Halloween! She is one of eleven puppies, 5 males and 6 females. The breeder sent us pictures over the week-end and we will soon get to pick which one we want. I would like to have them all but I think I will settle for just one. Now I have to think of a name for her. I had originaly thought about Bella, but I now I'm not as sure.

We will get to pick her up around Christmas time so I hope we have a dry winter here and in Rockford too. Its about a six hour drive up there and we make it a two day trip. I am getting everything ready at the house for her. We are going to crate train her until she gets out of the chewing stage. The breeder gets the pups doggy door trained when they leave so its not a huge adjustment for them when they get to their new home.

The other pups we have are getting big. We take them out for a long walk in the fields now that the farmers have all the crops out. They love to run the fence line and look for everything they can to play with or eat. Hopefully they will be trained to be bird dogs in a few months but right now they are enjoying being puppies!

New puppy!

I am getting a new puppy in a few weeks. Its a Brittany Spaniel from Winklemans Gun Dogs in Rockford Il. We got our last pup from there. She is a German Shorthair and we are very happy with her training and social skills. They do a good job breeding their dogs and preparing them for their new homes. Socializing dogs is important for them and for the owner. It makes a huge difference in the dogs behavior and their acceptance of their new environment and family. I would like to have a ten dog kennel someday. I have two adopted dogs, George and Socks. They are both strays that have become part of our family. The new puppy will be a house dog and it should be interesting house training her in the winter months. If anyone has any tips on housebreaking, I would welcome the input. It should be a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to it.

You can tell the days are getting shorter! Its sad when the sun goes down before dinner time and you know the day is coming to an end. The trees all look so sad with their empty branches. Some still have their leaves but most are falling off quickly now that the weather is turning.

This week will be me oldest granddaughter's ninth birthday. It hardly seems possible that nine years have passed from the day she was born. The first grandchild is special. You go crazy buying them the perfect wardrobe, all the educational toys that you think will surely get them into Harvard, and more shoes than they will ever wear.

Most of it is for you, but its still fun. She spent the night, Saturday night and as I watched walk to the door after dropping her off, I remembered that morning in October, 9 years ago that she entered our world. What a beauty she is. (Gets it from me!)

My husband, her grandpa Page was alive then. He was a very proud Papa. We were very proud grandparents. Life throws you curves and events spin you out of control, but moments like these stay in your heart forever.

Happy Birthday Chloe Grace!

Ready for Halloween!

It's that time of year again for the ghosts and goblins to come out of hiding and stalk the houses of everybodys street in hopes of filling their goodie bags with candy and treats.

My grandkids have decided to go as a angel, a Moxie girl, a witch and a wizard!

I'm still trying to figure out what a Moxie girl is. I thought it might be nice if they would all go together as a common group, but they are all individuals with their own ideas on what they want to be.

I can remember when my daughter was young and all the fun we had picking out costumes and looking for all the accessories to go along with it. i really enjoyed sitting on the front porch handing out treats to all the kids that would come by. Living in town has a few advantages and Halloween time is one of them.

Parents would park at the start of the block and hit every house on the street, then circle around and continue around the block. Everyone would have their lights on to show the kids to come to their house and Trick or Treat.

I miss those days. I live in the country now and love it but I still remember how much fun it was on Halloween.

Happy Halloween to Everyone!!!

Not a Lady Gaga fan,but these guys rock!

I love Kyle Bush!!!!

Mullets making a Comeback????

While at a birthday party last weekend, as I was looking around at the other unenthusiastic guests, I noticed several, very interesting coiffure's. Of course I'm referring to the one and only, Mullet. Party in the back, business in the front.

Where on earth do these colorful characters find the inspired hair doers that can still create the unmistakable hair fashion coo of the seventies?Okay, it was a really boring party and the entertainment pickings were pitiful. So, a little people watching was in order to keep myself from falling asleep.

It must be noted that the party gores at this event were not all hill-billies or  die hard wrestling fans from the eighties. There were professions there that had slightly modified versions of the mullet, but a mullet is a mullet! of course there were people there who sported that style for sheer pleasure of doing so and you have to give credit where credit is do. Stepping out in less than perfect attire take some guts in this day and age.

So I guess we should tip our hats to the section of Mullet loving public, that lives amongst us, for the undying love of the peculiar.

Maybe the mutton chop will make a comeback too. Hmmm....Baaaaad idea!

Tired of Political adds!

                  The political adds on TV are getting to the point of nonsense! If we were to believe what they all say, none of them are fit to be in office for anything except maybe writing for the Enquirer!
                   The government regulates or has their hand in everything that goes on in this country but they have a hands-off approach when it comes to campaign promises and their slanderous adds.  A little accountability should be expected for an individual trying to secure a position that will impact thousands of people.  
                   What if we applied for jobs and in order to beat out the other guy for a position we spread malicious rumors and dug up skeletons from his past, or God forbid we reveal he lead a less than perfect life prior to applying for the job! We'd get sued! Which means we broke the law. And at the very least banned from working at the company we applied at and probably blackballed from many others.
                  So why is okay for politician's to act this way? Are they above the law? At the very least, shouldn't they have morals and compassion for others? These are the people we elect and sent to Washington or Springfield to represent us. They speak for us and bring (hopefully) concerns, issues, and our needs to the President, Governor's, or house of Congress. If we can't trust the person who has been chosen to represent us, how can they speak for us?
                    Grow up!  That's the message we need to send to the politician's! Lying should be punished with a time-out, that includes no pay while in trouble. After all ,we are adults.
                  

The Infoplease Crossword Puzzle: Halloween

The Infoplease Crossword Puzzle: Halloween

Homer-Misunderstood?

I had a conversation with a male friend about how the media portrays men on TV. Why do we portray most men as slightly less intelligent than the average individual? That's not to say that most of the character's aren't lovable, funny, and sometimes witty. Yet the fact remains that most of the men have a cave-man like persona. Poor Homer is clueless!
Marge with her bee-hive blue hair and strapless gown has more going on for her than he ever thought of! But she is drop dead loyal to the buffoon and I think most of the viewing audience wouldn't tolerate anything less. Is this how we view the men in our lives? I'm pretty sure I don't have any Homers in my life but I definitely have a Al Bundy.That can wait for another posting.

Hallmark, politics, and living the American dream

Last week-end while channel surfing I stopped on the Hallmark channel and decided to watch a movie. I thought it might be nice to see a show without all the violence, crime that seem to be in all the movies that are on the tube these days. For the most part everything was okay with the show, not too much violence, low key plot. All in all it wasn't a bad show. The thing that bothered me was the characters was all so mundane. Everyone in the movie had such an amazing perfect life with 2 kids and a dog and the drama in their life was how to get the crust off the bread before, good gracious, Grandma got home from saving a kitten- you get the drift. Not many people have those storybook lives and some have ones that more closely resemble a Nightmare on Elm street movie. There are so many people in this world, in our country that are without the basic needs that you and I take for granted. People stand by the roadside holding signs that they will work for food. Some have signs asking for work.This is a country of surplus, yet is the overall wealth in the country truly divided equally? And if not, how do we achieve this? Politicians make all kinds of promises to keep everyone working, making a good income and living the American Dream.The problem is, words are just that-words. We need action! Get off your butt and do something about it action! Take half the money that is spent on political adds that are nothing but pure crap and use it to balance the budget. Then, have all the politicians put their campaign promises in writing. Lets make it a binding agreement. How many politicians do you think would be willing to go the distance? My guess is that there would be very few willing to stick their necks out when it comes down to it. So what do we do?

I'm on a roll now!

Hey I think I'm starting to get the hang of this social networking thing now! I am trying to change my page all around and I think I like the way it looks now. Change seems to be so hard for so many people. I think as individuals we are just inclined to be resistant to change and that makes things hard for us in the long run. Maybe that's why the political adds always push for the same old ideas that we have had for years instead of looking for new ones that might make a difference in the way we run this country. I wouldn't hold recommend to hold your breath because things seem to always stay the same in politics.  

 

Trip to the State Fair

We went to the Duqoin State Fair this last weekend with 3 of our grandchildren. It was the first time I have been to the fair so I was as excited as the kids were about going. We had the most beautiful weather that day. It wasn't too hot, and there was a nice breeze. Our oldest granddaughter, Chloe and our grandson, Reese love ti ride the rides and they did. Michaela, our middle grandchild prefers to play games but her sister talked her into going on a fun house type thing. Against our better judgement, we gave our approval  so off they went. At first, everything was all right.They climbed up the wall and were having a good time but then they started across the wooden swing bridge and that was Michaelas downfall. She got upset and started crying. There wasn't anything we could do but keep telling her it was okay and to keep moving to the end of the bridge. Chloe, always the drama queen, was yelling at the top of her lungs to come help get her sister off that crazy thing!  They finally made it off the ride or whatever it was and were all smiles then. That was the end of the rides for Miss Michaela, but the other two grand kids were still raring to go.  I rode one ride with Chloe, I think it was the Spider. That was a mistake. I didn't throw up but that was only because there wasn't anything in my stomach. That was the end of riding for me. I hung out with Michaela the rest of the day. Reese, our grandson, is only five but he has no fear of anything. The only reason he didn't get to ride all the rides is because he wasn't tall enough. He wanted to go on everything, and I do mean everything! We finally had to end all the riding. There was still a lot of things to go see, but the kids wanted to eat. I don't know what it is about fair food that can make cheese on a stick sound good , but it does. The smells of all those food stands is intoxicating!  And why wouldn't you eat cotton candy with a lemon shake-up and cheese on a stick with a hot dog and pickle on a stick all at the same time? Just be sure to save room for ice cream. We did!

What a Great day!

The weather today was beautiful! Wouldn't it be great if it was like this everyday? I spent most of the day just hanging out at the house. Sometimes its nice to just stay home and piddle. The pups were all happy to get out and play. I love spending time with them. I have 4 dogs, Max, Ruby, Socks, and George. Max and Ruby are German Short hairs, Socks is a Boxer and George is a Beagle. They all get along for the most part. Once in a while we'll have a skirmish over a toy or a little jealousy because someone doesn't feel like they're not getting enough attention. They were all enjoying the sunshine today. They didn't seem to mind sharing me.Sometimes I wonder what they think about. I'm the Alpha dog most of the time, but Ray is when he is training them. The short hairs are being trained to be bird dogs. Ray is building a recall pen for quail. That's what they will be hunting. Short hairs are very intelligent dogs. They have a good nature and are great with kids.We got Ruby from a breeder in Rockford IL. Max was from a local breeder. They are both brown and white ticked with some patches. Ruby is more patched that Max. She is a little smaller that Max but shows the same potential. We hope to breed them in a couple of years.Right now we think we will probably only have one litter. Of course that could change, but I don't see little Ruby being a breeding machine.

Driving to Lowe's last week-end to return the THIRD ceiling fan we have bought that didn't work, I noticed how many people were driving with their cell phones stuck to their heads. I guess the hang up and drive pledge isn't going so good. My Mother-in- law calls me every week, and rattles about mostly nothing but heaven forbid I don't answer my phone when she calls. My sister is the same way. It infuriates them that I don't carry my cell phone with me all the time. Truthfully, I don't know where its at most of the time. Many a morning I have spent looking for it, using the other phone to call it so I know where I might have laid it down at. I'm not sure where its at right now and yet the world as we know it keeps turning. Amazing.

Driving with a cell phone stuck to your ear is just stupid! Forget about texting. I can barely do that when I'm not behind the wheel! Road rage is another thing that has become too familiar on our roadways. And its not just teenagers that need to be re schooled in driving. There are plenty of adults that could use a little help too! My fiance is a perfect example. I drive most of time when we go places mainly because I prefer to arrive alive and he drives like a maniac! He follows people way too close for comfort. Actually a lot of people drive like that. When you can look in the rear view mirror and can tell the color of their eyes, thats too close.If you want to car pool, just ask! The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that road rage "involves a criminal act of violence, whereas aggressive driving can range from tailgating, to speeding,to running red lights."  So maybe he doesn't actually have road rage but he could chill out a little behind the wheel. Then theres the whole cell phone thing. Again, more often than not he has a phone stuck to his ear.I love him to death, but he's not much of a multitasker. How much head movement do you really have when you have your hand stuck to the side of your head.There was a time that we didn't have a cell phone by our side 24/7. You have to wonder what is so important that we have to be contacted at any given time, anywhere, anytime!