Guatemalan Worry Doll

According to legend...tell one worry to a worry doll when you go to bed at night and place it under your pillow. When you wake up in the morning, your worry is gone. We shall see...

Another Ducky!

During our shopping adventure today we found a huge display of these little light up critters. After digging through the display and knocking several on the floor, we decided on this little yellow duck. All you have to do is give them a little whack and they light up for you, how fun is that! This duck first turned red, then green. This picture shows the in-between, leaving red and switching over to green. Awwww, so cute!!

VolleyBall Begins

For the last couple of years Liz and the girls play volleyball at the Boys and Girls Club. This year the team name is  Tae-Kwon Do Do's. The girls are literal powerhouses when it comes to playing volleyball. Believe me, I do not want to be on the receiving end of one of their serves! We all go to watch the girls and cheer them on. This is where, for some reason, I turn into this loud mouthed mom sitting in the stands hootin' and hollerin'!! I just can't help myself, it just comes on out, sometimes I embarrass myself!! But I am so proud of them and I want everyone to know. "Go, Go Do, Do's!!!"

Good Morning Snow

Good Morning Snow! What a treat is was to wake up and see you again! You made everything look so pretty this morning, I was quite impressed. But there is this one thing, see, you made the roads awfully slippery. Yes I made it to work safe and sound but I didn't get to travel today and that was a bummer :( Luckily, the sun came out and melted most of you away and it turned out to be a pretty nice day after-all.
Now I don't mean to be rude, it was nice to see you again, but you have overstayed your welcome and it is time for you to leave. See you again in December!!

Just Ducky!

This is one of those things that my kid just had to have. She even managed to talk Aunt Jennifer into buying it for her. Little Duck ice cubes would be so cute!!!! Of course it was short lived and now the duckies are stuck on a shelf in the back kitchen. I just happened to spot the little guys while gathering tonight's dinner ingredients. And now that she has spotted them again too, "we should make Jell-O ducks!" Well we will see..
In the meantime, here's a few duck jokes to make you smile :0)

*What time does a duck wake up?  At the quack of dawn!

*What do you call a crate full of ducks?  A box of quackers!

*Who stole the soap? The robber ducky!

*Where do ducks go for breakfast? Duck'n Doughnuts!!

Hope you liked my jokes! Did they "quack you up"??!!!!

Rain Drops are Falling on my Head

I wish the weather would just make up its mind. First we are warm, then cold, then rain and snow on the way, all in the same week! Geez Mother Nature, what's up!? So instead of grumping about it we must photograph it! I discovered again, even though I knew this, that I can not hold my camera still. My first few pictures were very blurry. So out comes the tripod, but then it was a bit awkward and I ended up knocking off the drops. But I am a patient person and continued on. I popped the flash for this shot and decided I liked what I got. Looks like a little bit of sunshine in that drop. And for those of you who know me, do you see it :)!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday

Happy B-Day MB! I did not get to sign your card today but I didn't want you to think I had forgotten about ya. Anyways, what a better Happy Birthday then a Happy Birthday on my blog!!!
This was taken from the little Happy Birthday box you gave me way back when, that had the candle on top. Can't remember, but I'm sure it was filled with some chocolates :)

Today's Drive

Out and about on the road today and this is what I saw for the most it, mist, gray and fog. It was a bit dreary, but still enjoyable...the outlines of the trees and barns against the fog, the cows laying around in the fields, huddled together getting wet, the mist creating little water droplets on the branches of the bushes. The fog stayed all day and will surely stay into night as well.

My hubby

 Enjoying a Sunday evening with my husband and my family. Thanks for cooking dinner, Sis!!

Road Trip

My hubby and I took a road trip over to Indiana today. We saw lots of interesting things along our way, such as...The sign in front of the church that was promoting their "Redneck Christmas" program. Then there was the Golden Nugget restaurant where you could cook your own pork chops, get a cold one, and buy your lotto tickets, all in the same place. (no, we did not chose to eat here) But the best place of all was this farm house with a yard full of these creations. It looked as though they used farm equipment to make the pieces. This is just a small glimpse of what was out there, and believe me, the pieces were not small. I'm wondering what my neighbors might think about a dinosaur in my front yard!

Life's Purpose

Meet Luvie's friend Specs. Specs first met Luvie and her "stylin'" heart glasses over 10 years ago.They have been together ever since. Specs knows what makes the world go around, happiness and a little "Luvie"!

I'm Not Happy

I'm not happy!

Liz's Elephant

Is there nothing more awful in this world then to have your child come home in tears. My baby holds her emotions close and when there is something that upsets her, it breaks my heart. She cries and I want to stop the world and fix it for her. I know that this is the feeling of any parent, but if you know her, you would know that these things don't happen often. She had her feelings hurt and that is just life. But I am so proud of her for standing up for herself and making it a point to let others know what she wanted. She did good.
Chocolate Chip Cookies in the oven now...

Favorite Places

Since I am out and about a lot for work, I get to see so many wonderful things and places. One of my favorite places to stop at eat my lunch is at the riverfront in Lacon. It is a very calm and peaceful place.Today I watched the seagulls flying, the young geese hanging out in the water. I even watched two eagles scare off a flock of seagulls for no apparent reason but to sit where they were sitting. A wonderful view even if the skies were gray today. And believe it or not, there is a barge down the river. Remember, I mentioned before about how a tourist magazine suggested barge watching as an activity when you come to Illinois!

It's Luvie!

Meet Luvie, she is a TY Beanie Baby from way back when. I just love her red glasses! Very stylin' is she!!
Below her is the box that my beautiful necklace, a silver heart with a small gold heart inside of it, came in. Yes, a very nice Valentine's gift for me!! He was going to get some brownies but unfortunately I am feeling crummy today and I am going to bed instead. Don't worry though, he will get his brownies as soon as I feel better!!

What a Tree!

The temperature hit in the 50's today, so we took the ole dog out for a walk. We hit our usual route, down our road, around the cemetery and back down a different road. On the road home we find this amazing tree growing.  It might be something that you drive by everyday and yet you really never noticed how it grew or how unique it is. Did the people who own it do this on purpose since it is surrounded by power lines? or is it just how nature decided?
This is one of those things that I find quite interesting. I say this all the time but still it is true...take the time to notice the small things, you may miss something amazing.

Plates of Different Colors

So many treasures can be found around the house if you just look. I found these little tea plates in a cabinet in the basement. There doesn't appear to be any cups that go with them and the color is starting to come off but they are still quite lovely. Several years ago I  started collecting a set of dishes with a red Wheat pattern on them. This pattern apparently was not a common pattern because I rarely find more pieces to my set. I suppose if I searched a little harder on the web I could find them but what fun would that be? It's much more fun to happen upon a piece or two at a yard sale or an antique store!

Heart in the Sky

Awww, who put that heart up in the sky for me tonight? I only had my little buddy with me, but I couldn't resist the sight of the sun going down and how gorgeous the clouds were. So I stopped and caught this break in the clouds. I know that heart was meant for me because I needed a little extra love today!

Safety Hand

My niece found this in the locker room at school today. Thought it was a bit interesting, not a bad thing to remind the kids of...High 5 for wearing your seat belt!

Little Chef

This Little Chef is so cute, how could I resist taking his picture! Then this Hank Williams Jr song popped in my head...

Hey, hey good lookin',

whatcha got cookin'?

How's about cooking somethin' up with me!

Flute Face

"Elizabeth! Look what I found on your flute!"

"Oh, mom"

"No, really, look!"

"I know what it is, I am not even going to look"

"Awww, come on, it's so neat!!"

"You are so weird"

Apparently I am quite predictable :)

Colonel Ralph Plumb

Today I was out on the road for work. I stopped at the park in Streator, IL and enjoyed my lunch of a Subway Club with provolone cheese, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, and red wine vinegar and a bag of pretzels. mmmmm
I noticed this monument in the park of Steator's founding father,Colonel Ralph Plumb1816-1903 .One of his many accomplishments was the Streator High School. He bought the land and provided all the funds to build and furnish the school, all with his own funds.
He is quoted as saying
"...There is no joy in life like the joy of giving. No investment yields returns like an investment in men. There is no work that pays so well as helping people help themselves." * Col Ralph Plumb, 1903

Who likes snow?

Jack does! How do you turn an old dog into a pup again? Snow! I took him out this morning and watched as he explored the new fallen snow, stopping to take in a few licks. Nothing tastes better then new fallen snow, well any snow for that matter, as far as Jack is concerned. The morning after the blizzard, I let him out to do his duty. I watched as he checked things out, not sure why that snow was rubbing up under his belly. Then all of a sudden, wham, stuck his face straight into a pile of snow. Got himself a snout full! Goofy dog!! Then the other evening when he was on his way back in, I swear this dog galloped and leapt through the snow all the way to the door, just like a little puppy. Does my heart good to see my old dog feeling good!

Drip...Drip...Drip

The sun came out today and started a melt down. Still it will be short lived, with the lows in the single digits and another chance for snow tonight, tomorrow and Monday! So today was the day to enjoy the sunshine! The icicles were having races amongst themselves, seeing who could drip the fastest. I grabbed my Macro lens and set the camera to continuous to catch a drip in mid drop. I like the first drip with it's division of color. The white side reflecting the siding on the house and the brown reflecting the brick. The second drop is more about the shape of it, although the reflection is a nice touch.

If All the Snowflakes

The rest of that song goes "Standing outside with my mouth open wide, nah, nah, nah, nah. If all the snowflakes were candybars and milkshakes, oh, what a snow that would be!" That there is a Barney the Dinosaur song and we loved Barney! Just yesterday I came across the little Barney swimsuit that all the girls wore between them. We had and still have, every Barney video tape from the original gang. Yes, video, VHS, not DVD. Barney kept the girls entertained for hours! There were 2 chairs parked in front of the "kids" TV and a Barney video playing. They wouldn't just sit in front of the tv, they were too busy for that, but if there was some song or something that caught their attention, they had front row seats! I can still see them singing along and swaying back and forth to the music. Yes the days of Barney are long gone, but even so...

I love you

You love me

We're a happy family

With a great big hug

And a kiss from me to you

Won't you say you love me too!

Was there a meeting?

I had a bit of cabin fever today after being in the house for 3 days so I headed out to the park to enjoy the sunshine and see what was happening out in the world. I took a walk around the lagoon then over across the street. There I noticed this tree and the 10 sets of  tracks surrounding it. Hmmm, just what was going on here? I did not see any critters anywhere around or in the tree. Where did all those tracks go? Was there a secret meeting of squirrels going on? Is there a secret door under that tree where all the squirrels are gathering? Are the squirrels plotting to take over the world like the cats in the movie Cats and Dogs! Or maybe there was a celebration! A squirrel birthday party! A family get together, did the in-laws come over for a visit?! Did the "Watch Squirrel" forget to sweep over the footprints to hide any evidence of any suspicious activities? Well unfortunately one will never really know, but next time I am out in the park I will pay just a little more attention to what those squirrels are doing!

Can you say cabin fever....

Jack Frost was here!

This was the sight out my bedroom window this morning. Even with the 15 inches of snow we received, Jack Frost made his way through the blizzard and decorated my window. An amazing sight to see! Despite the fact that I was freezing!!!!!! I still managed to marvel at it's beauty. Some of the things I see in frost... a Christmas tree, a butterfly, feathers, and fern leaves. Thought I was going to say a face, didn't ya!!
Remember to always take the time to enjoy the small things, otherwise you might miss something wonderful.

Rainbow in a Jar

Today I was determined to get more food coloring so I could have another go around at making bubbles. Then I got to thinking of some of the different activities that I have done with preschoolers using food coloring. One of them was Rainbow in a Jar from the book Mudpies to Magnets by Robert Rockwell. First fill a clear jar with water and let it sit for 15-30 minutes until the water settles down. I placed my camera in Manual mode with manual focus and set it on the tripod. My daughter then added two drops of food coloring, red first, then blue to the water while I manned the camera. Because the water is calm, the food coloring slowly makes it way to the bottom. I found it interesting that the color streams would seem to ball up at the bottom of the jar. As you can see, hopefully, there were so many different shapes and faces! Love them!!! The obvious face is the one in blue, with a tear drop on her cheek. But if you keep looking there are several others as well. Check out my Flickr page for a few more examples.