Eeekk, A Mouse!

Last night my hubby and I went to our second grade granddaughter's school program. She played a mouse who has one small speaking part. She waited until yesterday morning to tell her mother she needed a mouse costume. Our daughter-in-law spent three hours trying to find one and finally had all the parts to the costume assembled by the time we got there for supper. Here she is modeling her costume.

The play was called "The Bear Went Over the Mountain".  Each child was a forest animal. Since the second grade class is so large they divided the children into two groups with each group preforming the same play thirty minutes apart. Our granddaughter was part of the second group. Thankfully, we didn't have to sit through two plays.

Now, instead of helping put on plays, I can sit back and watch and enjoy them.

Her eleven month old sister was enthralled with all the costumes and the singing. She danced in her daddy's lap during the whole play. I am so grateful  we live just forty minutes away so we can participate in all our grandchildren's activities. Tomorrow night we will have all of our grandchildren, the rest of the family and a few friends over for a Halloween party. So, looks like a busy weekend.

Wishing everyone a pleasant weekend.
Christine

Trip to the Boston Mountains

The hubster and I took a two day trip to Van Buren, Ark. for a train ride through the Boston Mountains yesterday. We had an enjoyable get away and the weather was perfect. The fall foliage wasn't at it's peak but the trees were just beginning to turn.

Downtown Van Buren has most of the original building from the late 1800's and is quite quaint looking. Antique shops and resturants occupy most of them.

We arrived at the train station around ten in the morning to get our tickets and then took a stroll downtown and then back to the station to board the train around eleven. The train arrived in Van Buren from Springdale and passengers got off then we were all allowed to board.

The engine pulls three large cars with us in the first car.

                                                                                   

Our car was the only one that served lunch of sandwiches, chips, cookies, pop and coffee.  As we ate we took in all the sights of the mountains. 

The train windows were tinted so my camera didn't pick up the color of the fall foliage but the scenery was very pretty. The three hour trip was just long enough and took us back to Van Buren. After departing Van Buren we headed to Ft. Smith and visited some antique shops and then headed home. We took the long way home around Lake Tenkiller instead of taking the interstate. It was a beautiful drive. It was a fun time for just the two of us and we will probably do it again next year only wait until around the second week of November. We are thinking of taking the train from Springdale just for something different.

Hope everyone is having a good week.
Christine

                                                          

Rowdy Says

Sometimes I'm just laying around minding my own business when my mama wants to play.

She likes to play this silly game called, "the claw". Most of the time I am not in the mood to play this game.

I know that somehow I'm going to get the the raw end of the deal in this "claw" game.

See what I mean. For some reason she thinks this is a fun game. Who is she kidding.

I let her know that I am not happy with this game and am thinking that next time I see "the claw" I am hiding under the couch.

Tour of Homes

Yesterday I decided to take a walk in our neighborhood. I was hoping to get some good pictures of the tree foilage but was disappointed that our trees haven't turned yet. Yet, I did notice there were quite a few homes in our housing addition for sale. Most of the homes in our neighborhood were built in the 80's except for one block over. Those homes were built in early 2000. Our neighborhood is mostly middle class geriatric homeowners. Not much traffic and relatively quiet. We love it. We are close to schools and one of the main throughfares in town that leads to shopping areas. Homes sell quickly in our neighborhood.

    This home is two doors down and is for sale for $164,000. It has been updated throughout.

You could probably pick this one up for a steal. It has been on the market for almost two years. When it first went on the market it was listed for $150,000. I'm sure the seller would take any offer now.

This home is newer than most of the homes in the neighborhood and has an inground pool. Priced in the mid $160,000's.

We looked at this home five years ago when it was for sale and at that time it was listed for $174,000. It needed a lot of updating and would have taken a lot of work. It finally did sell and the owners did some updating and now they are reselling it. It sold within a week.

This home is listed for $150,000. The lady who lives here is a widow and wanting to move closer to her children in Texas. It probably needs some updating but one could always make an offer.

The home in the pictures above is not for sale. It has three bedrooms, two baths and an open kitchen/dinning/living area, utility room and two car garage. I hear the owners are building a screened-in porch with deck in the back. It also has a curved driveway in the front which is great for parking for guests. The owners are a nice retired couple who hope to stay here a long time, so I don't see it going up for sale anytime soon. (smiles)

Christine




                                                                                 




                                                     





                                                          

Words to Live By

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.

Philippians 1:3

In memory of my mother.

Dec. 31, 1920 - Oct. 24, 2005

Another Halloween Craft

I saw this little paperback jack-o-lantern on a blog the other day and had to try my hand at it. So easy and cute. I used an old paperback book and folded in the pages and hot glued the front and back covers together and added a stick stem and fake leaves and facial features. Just another twist to Halloween.

This picture of my mother is sitting on an end table in the livingroom.

The hubster probably thinks I'm going a little overboard with the Halloween theme in our home but he knows that saying anything wouldn't do any good so he keeps quiet about it. 

The carpenters didn't work on the screened porch this week. We are waiting on the painters and gutter people. All are to be here Monday and try and get everything wrapped up this coming week. To say I'm ready is an understatement.                                                      

                                                     

Full Moon

These are pictures of last nights moon in Northeastern Oklahoma in a five minute span. First picture there are no clouds around the moon and then the clouds started moving in. It was not only errie but beautiful. Just had to share. 

Christine

Christmas Angel

Last weekend I went to a huge garage sale and found this little angel christmas bell for a quarter. It's a 1960 Napco and I knew that some people collect them. My first thought was to put this little ditty in my booth but decided to keep it for my bell collection. I think it's cute. I did check online to see what it might be worth. Depending on the age and condition these bells/figurines go for $6.00 on up. Not bad for a quarter.

Christine

Portraits

As some of you know my mother was an artist. For many years she did only oil landscapes. It wasn't until she was much older that she attempted portraits of people. Why she waited so long I really don't know unless she just thought she couldn't do it. She was the queen of self doubt when it came to her painting talent. I always told her I wish I had just a smidgen of your talent. Once she started painting portraits she couldn't stop. She painted her children, grandchildren and my dad and other members of our family.She also did self portraits of herself that my sister and I have in our homes.

                                            
These two portraits are of my mother and dad when they were 26 years old. She painted these pictures using their wedding photos as a guide.

                                              Self portrait of my mother sometime in her eighties.

                                                             Portrait of me at age 40.

                                                             My sister in her thirties.

My sister has her share of portraits in her home as well. We cherish these paintings and hopefully our children will too. Painting was a passion for my mother and if she had had more time in this world she'd still be at it. Who knows, she may still be painting where she is now and I wonder WHO is getting their portrait painted.

Christine

Postnote:
My mother also had a sense of humor. The drawings below my mother drew in pencil of some pretty funny characters.

                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                               
                                                 Aren't these guys cute!
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Rowdy Says

Oh Mama...yeah right there...please don't stop...that feels so good...ahhhhhh!
                        She gives the best tummy rubs!!!


                                                                            

Sign of the Times

                                             It won't be long now Ninny!
                                                                                    

Words To Live By

Eye has not seen,nor ear heard...The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.

                                        1 Corinthians 2:9

Painting by Thelma English