Generations

   The new photo is of some of my family.  Great G'Pa was so very proud of his cattle.  And Great G'Ma had a lot of chickens.  They were gone before I could remember them.  When Mom was pregnant G'Ma Kate shared a lot of country folklore.  Like don't hang clothes on the line, the baby will turn. G'Ma Kate was a deeply religious woman and schooled Mom in the ways of the Lord and the Bible.  There was a lot, a lot! of guilt placed on a person back then.  The sin's of the father, if you lie you will be punished by something terrible happening, if you don't go to church you will go to hell. Consequently, I grew up with all this guilt and angst.
   Mom married at 16, and no, she wasn't preggers.  I came along when she was 19.  I'm not sure why they married so young.  But they did not grow up together as time marched on but grew apart. He was the love of her life. She, not so much for him. They divorced and remarried each other once. The divorce was really strange for me because none of my friends' parents were divorced.  Everyone seemed to feel sorry for Mom and I. Some of her married friends went by the wayside.
   We belonged to a swim club just a few blocks down the street from the neighborhood.  It was called Koboldt's, after the huge family who owned it.  I remember it cost $80 a year to join. I used to walk barefoot to the pool, and boy, did I get in trouble for that!  Your feet are going to spread and we won't be able to find shoes to fit you, Mom said.  Thanks, GG Kate! And no, that didn't happen at all.  
  Childhood was really very good for me, even with the divorce.  The younger days were the best.  Swimming every summer with all my friends was the best!  I loved it! I can't play the piano to this day after years of lessons because I would not practice.  Had to get to the pool and swim. The piano was right next to the beauty shop that Mom had in the house.  They would all get sick of listening to me TRY to play, and were seemingly extremely relieved when I stopped.
  Wouldn't trade growing up like that for anything.  Life was simple, and good, and fun.

The Heat

   Wowza is all I can say. Here in SE MO our heat indices have been 100* and higher this past week. It's so exhausting to try to accomplish just routine errands and stuff! Don't get me wrong now. I am GRATEFUL that I don't have to work in the heat everyday and so respect those that do. My woofie babies don't even want to stay outside! Oh, Freddy thinks he does! But that lasts all of about 2 minutes and he is heading back to the door. 
   My friend Nedra and I have managed to lug all the parts of an antique Barrister Bookcase from the Antique Shop to her house in the heat. We met The Sisters for Yard Saling beginning at 0645 one morning. By the time all that was done, you just felt kind of sick from the heat. The Sisters are actually 2 sisters who are distant cousins and their sister-in-law. Those 3 are the most proficient Yard Salers I have ever known. The Queens of YS in Cape Girardeau, MO. They actually know other YS'ers from all their years of YSing!  It's pretty amazing. As we left a pretty unremarkable YS Carolyn commented that it had been a real Hoover. Of course I had no idea what that meant until Nancy Kay clarified that it sucked. It's always a fun time with The Sisters. Breakfast usually follows with lots of laughter and fun. We are prone to discuss in great detail episodes of the Bold and Beautiful for the past week. There are many nicknames for the characters that cannot be mentioned here. 
   It's all silly fun. And so appreciated by this old woman. 

Cranky

   I am getting on my own nerves, as they used to say. Retiring on a fixed income is challenging, to say the least!
   It's 82* with 79% humidity in southeast MO today and only 0830. Been in the house for 4 days straight. Mom and I call it piddling around the house.  But there is only so much you can do without actually cleaning and straightening.  Which is SO not what I want to do. And only so much cooking you can do when the cupboards are due to be stocked in several days. ACK.
   Some piddling around the house results. The Elwood J. (Woody) Miller limited edition etchings and the suitcase collection.

   Since giving up jewelry designing, boredom is ever present.  Junk jewelry creations are so fun.  But that creative part seemed to have left the brain when the creations didn't sell.  So you design things for friends.  Yep.  They are all stocked up. Now what? There are still some at a local (30miles down the road) shop.  It is a fabulous shop in the middle of a tiny, little town. The owner has "it".  She can style and display and make you want to buy everything. 

  So now what? Cleaning up the studio would be the best option for this time at home.  But it's been hard to walk back in and face...failure. OH, it is sooooo full of collected jewels. Here is just a tiny portion...ACK

  so it's cranky for today......and trying to work up the strength to face....it.

Home

I'm very grateful to have inherited my Gram's house.  Not sure where I would be right now if I hadn't!  THANK YOU, Gram!
    It's a house built in the small town in 1964. That had to be a challenge just to get building supplies.  The hardwood floors are wonderful because the original owner and then Gram (YES! just 2 owners) covered them with wall to wall carpeting.  That was the thing back then. And then everyone smoked cigarettes like chain smokers.  BLECK. Needless to say, the carpeting was the first thing to go.Here is a great photo of the floor. And my dog Freddy when he was younger.  He's 13 now. And then we can't show a photo of Freddy without showing a cute one of HoneyMarie.
Off to cook up some pasta with spinach, artichoke, garlic, etcetc for lunch. More tomorrow.  

St Louis

I'm originally from St Louis, MO.  Lived there 53 years. Die hard Cardinal fan. Grew up in West County but lived mostly in South City later on.  I loved living in St Louis Hills on the Southside. My heart will always belong to The Lou.
It's been so painful to see all the trauma St. Louisans, especially my family and friends, have endured the past year. All I can say is WOWZA. And pray for healing.
Living in a SMALLLLLLTOWN now has been quite the change.  Difficult change.  1200 or so folks.  A tiny McDonalds, Family Dollar and Dollar General, isn't that too funny?  Why do 1200 people need 2 $stores??? The local grocery store. BLECK.  It's 30 mintues to Cape Girardeau, MO. poplulation about 38,000 or so.  There is a Schnucks grocery store!, Walmart, and lots of restaurant chains and The Mall.  The Antique shops are terrific. Still not St. Louis, is it?
 Mom is here in Advance, MO. And cousin-like-a-Sister Mary aka Sis. Mom pretty much stays in town.  She drives to the local stores (relief no further) ...but my friend Nedra and I do most of her shopping when we take off for anywhere but Advance.
 Nedra is a widow, Antiques Linen collector, seller, Silhouette Artist and best friend. We find fun whatever we are doing and when on the go, are always together.  She lives right down the street in the gorgeous old house she grew up in filled with Antiques and awesome collections.
 I always get so very homesick for St. Louis during the holidays.  July 4th is the VP Fair, Cardinal games...an atmosphere you can't find anywhere else. Fireworks under the magnificent Arch. Its the feeling of being there I miss. I so wish the local TV stations down here would televise those Fireworks!
Well, its time to see what Monday brings my way!
Thanks for being here.

                   first blog post

Well, here I am.  Trying to collect my 62 y/o thoughts and blog again. Always think there is so much to say and now it's just a big blank. 
OK.  Independence Day.
It's very important to me to appreciate Independence Day. I think a lot about what would have been if we weren't able to enjoy the freedoms our brave young woman and men have fought so courageously for all these years.
Remembering in 4th grade practicing the drill where you jump under your desk in case of an attack by the Soviet Union-that's what it was then.  Not Russia.  It was the Communists. HA! Like the desks would save us! But in 4th grade we believed.  How niave we were.  ALL of us!
Freedom is such a privilege that I so cherish. We Americans tend to take it for granted way too much. Stand up and be grateful for what we have this 4th of July. Teach the children how important it is. Say THANK YOU!
Enjoy your freedom to celebrate as you choose this Independence Day!