She's Come Home!!

Finally. My little car is back home and whole. I was beginning to despair of ever having a car at my disposal again! She is beautiful!

Rudy's New Playground

Our new playground:

We have just settle on a price for this awesome playground for the three of us (and anyone who wants to come stay with us!) and are absolutely giddy. All prayers for an easy closing welcome!

Yes....that is a pecan orchard. The view is from the soon-to-be-ours back porch/deck/favorite place.

Til Death Do Us Part

Thirty seven years ago today at this time I was still asleep. No sinus junk to keep me awake. I had just finished my final exams the day before to end my junior year at Iowa State University. GO CLONES! I'm sure Cuddle Buns was still asleep as well. Rudy was just a twinkle in his daddy's eyes as were our two real children.

By the end of the day we were:

Mr. and Mrs. Mike Burke

And they lived happily ever after....

In bigger sizes with shorter hair....

Play Dates All Around

My friend Carla wanted to take a road trip to Container Store. I'm always up for Container Store, but since she just had knee replacement surgery, didn't think she'd be comfy in my little rent-an-egg. (Car still not ready.) So, I drove her car. She came to get me, and we decided to take Rudy over for a play date with her Hobbit. (Hobbit spent the weekend awhile back, remember?)

 

They had great fun and immediately ran upstairs to watch us leave. I thought Rudy was a little distraught. Until I looked more closely at the pict.

He wasn't even looking at me. Probably not at all concerned about my leaving. Just giddy with a new window and stuff to bark at. With Hobbit by his side staring mournfully at his mom leaving. Man. Know where I stand now.

Gramma's Training Camp

The Grand Princess and her new little friend from next door were sitting in the garage playing with play dough and eating fist sticks. (Gramma is a gourmet cook, isn't she?) (The awesome weather with NO HUMIDITY, thank you very much, allows this outdoor, Paris-cafe type setting. It will be back in the AC within days, I'm sure.)

I have had a few things out in the garage the last few days while I have played around with dying some  alpaca and some silk. This was hanging in the garage, fluffing and drying:

Our new little curious but uneducated friend asks, "What is THAT?"

The Grand Princess, with more than a touch of disdain in her voice and a little "boy, are you stupid!" added in rolls her eyes, looks at him and says:

"It's FIBER!"

(This reminds me of a few nights ago when I voice concern to Cuddle Buns that the prayer shawl I was working on wasn't very big. He naturally replies that it will be bigger once I block it. Am I training these people here well, or what??)

Totally bummed...

It doesn't look totaled, does it? But the insurance guys says it is. (Air bags---seems to be the key determining factor.) So, just like that, my great little car is gone. 

Plus, the coffee pot quit working today. Had to run some boiling water through the filter part just to hold me over.

Legacies

This is my house. I grew up here. (There is no snow around it right now!)  It was a mess when we moved in. Dad re-did it. I remember him making the paneling. Painting it. Installing a wood burning stove that saved us one winter when the power was out. It wasn't finished even when I went to college. But it was livable and memorable. And I loved it.

I wish I had pictures of Vern and Coila's. It was a supper club on the lake. Dad did much construction there. But he also played the drums with the Ralph Easton Trio on the weekends. I remember Dad in his tux. 

I remember him when I smell sawdust. Hear Lawrence Welk. Or drum solos. Or pass a golf course, a past time he took up in his 60s. This week, we have received many notes or comments about how "We used to dance to Benny's music every weekend", or "Benny made our cabinets (or tables or bookcases or whatever)". I am sure there are many people in Spencer who have kitchen cabinets made by my dad who don't even know the care and artistry he put into them. But I do know they are level and square. And beautiful. 

We remembered dad this week. He passed just a few weeks shy of his 90th birthday. I got to be with him which I thought would be really hard, but ended up being a wonderful blessing. He had everything planned, ready, and paid for with the funeral home. I held it together through the service until our final song. It hasn't left my brain since.