Frankie and Slim

Frankie and Slim
Happy New Year

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

# 22 FEEDING TIME

This is post is number 22 in the marathon.

 Polly will not let Ashenhurst nurse so we have to bottle feed him.  He is flourishing and loving this supplement.  For the first few days I had to hold Polly still so he could get something to eat so at least he got some of mama's milk.  Finally she got too mean and was treating Ashenhurst terrible so we went to the supplement.  She lets Ashley nurse without any problem. Last year she had twins also and never even cleaned up the second one abandoning it immediately.  At least this time she paid a little attention to Ashenhurst and cleaned him up.

Here are the twins Ashley and Ashenhurst back at play once Ashenhurst has finished his breakfast.

Tina is outside the goat pen standing on a bale of hay wondering what is going on and why she can't get in the pen.

# 21 LARGEST NO MORE

This is post is number 21 in the marathon.

 

At one time this McDonald's on the Will Rogers Turnpike was the World's Largest... until France knocked them out of first place.  Sadly the sign is gone.

Those little cherubs standing under the sign  in 2006 are two of our granddaughters.  It made them happy to stop here. The second picture is how they begged for us to promise to stop.   You can see why they got their way.  Who could resist?

It remains the grand-children's favorite place to stop on their way to our house even if it isn't the World's Largest anymore.  It is still a McDonald's.  This Glass House is built across the turnpike and you can enjoy your burger while you watch the traffic and pray that a tornado isn't on the way.


 

#20 THE REAL ARTIST

This is post is number 20 in the marathon.

 My daughter is a fantastic artist in every medium.  She can do anything in the visual arts field and this was a church project she took on in 2005.  I love this cross that she designed and built for a special prayer nook in their Missouri church, incorporating terracotta pot pieces signed and decorated from many if not all of the church members.








#19 BE STILL MY HEART


This is post is number 19 in the marathon.

 This is a beloved photograph.  This is a beloved group. Ron and I were in our courtship stage at this time.  Left to right, my dad, me, Ron and my mother.  This is the only picture that exists of Ron and me with both of my parents.  My dad died a few months after this picture was taken.  Mother is gone now too.  Sometimes pictures conjure up such memories so special and happy that they actually hurt.  You know what I mean?

 

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

#18 MORE CHANGES

This is post is number 18 in the marathon.

 

Okay, Blogger has changed the comment section.  Now where the heck is the link to requesting follow-up comments?  I like to see what other bloggers say on your posts and see what you might say back to me on your posts.  I like to comment on my post comments and hope those who want to can request follow-up on my comments.  Now that is gone.  What happened?  What do I do?  Help! 

Did anyone even know that I was leaving follow up comments on each of your comments on my posts?

#17 THE WAIT IS OVER


This is post is number 17 in the marathon.

Jessi and Joe leaving for the Oscars.

 

The kids are on the red carpet.

 

Are they Penelope's escorts or are they photo bombing?  Jessi definitely has the best profile:)

 

This picture is titled "Where's Waldo Jessi?"  Can you find her?

 Jessi sent me a lot of wonderful pictures but I just selected a few to give you a feel of the occasion.

#16 MAN SOUP

This is post is number 16 in the marathon.

There was a google image that would have gone with this post nicely but a hot tub full of naked men somehow did not seem appropriate for a family type blog:)

Man-soup does not mean a soup made of men.  What this is about is a soup that men will like.  As a matter of fact, it was a man's idea.  Ron suggested we try this and it worked very nicely.

 I made our regular potato soup and usually at the end I add a little flour in a small can of evaporated milk and stir that in.  Ron suggested that I add Morrison's Country Style Peppered Gravy Mix to the evaporated milk and stir that in.  Talk about a hearty, thick soup with a delicious flavor. 

(It really isn't just a man's soup but what woman wants to admit that she ate a big bowl of potatoes and gravy which is basically what we have here.)

 

 

#15 TEND-AND-BEFRIEND

 This is post is also number 15 in the marathon.

 

 

How our girlfriends can help us get through the toughest times

"When men are under stress, they produce high levels of testosterone which add to the classic "flight-or-fight" stress response. But when women are under stress, we produce high levels of the "love hormone" called oxytocin. This helps to buffer the fight-or-flight response and actually compels us to instead seek out the company of other women to talk about our troubles - what's known as the "tend-and-befriend" response to stress."

Click on the title line to read this article.  It explains a lot about many of us who blog.  Since we moved to this community six years ago I have not found the "girlfriend" of my dreams and believe you me, Ron has tried to help me find someone because he isn't really into being my confidant. The problem in a small community, the clicks are tight and everybody else already has their bff's and besties (grandchildren words). 

Monday, February 27, 2012

# 14 QOTW 02-27-12 CAPTIVATION

Question Of The Week 02-27-12
This is post is also number 14 in the marathon.





This is my only post today for the marathon so you can enjoy this question of the week and I can take the time to regroup my thoughts for the remainder of my posts.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

#13 NO SHORT TO A LONG STORY

This is post number 13 in the marathon.

Nancy Leitz has encouraged me with another blog post idea.  She suggested that I post a link to a story I wrote about my father for The Elder Storytelling Place in June, 2008.

LITTLE OWEN

By Granny Annie of Fools Rush In

Grandpa and Grandma raised one child. This child was a miracle. His name was Owen.


When Grandma was pregnant with my father, she says she went into a field and got down on her knees and bargained with God. She promised God if He would let this child live, she would dedicate the infant to the service of the Lord. She had lost eight babies, most from stillbirths in the eighth month of pregnancy.


CLICK THE TITLE LINE LITTLE OWEN TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY WHEN YOU HAVE TIME.  IT'S A LONG ONE.

# 12 SISTER KNOWS BEST

This is post number 12 in the marathon.

I probably should not admit what I have been watching on Netflix Instant Play.  Have  you watched or heard of BREAKING  BAD?  Well it is an absolutely horrible show where you sympathize with the bad guys (and these are really bad buys) and I usually avoid that kind of thing but...my sister made me do it.  And I am hooked.


Yesterday I finished Season 3.  My sister and my niece assured me that Season 4 was the best and they couldn't wait for me to catch up.  Season 4 was no where to be found...unless I was willing to pay for it on Amazon or iTunes or one of those expensive places.  


My sister swore that she and my niece had watched Season 4 on Netflix Instant Play and I should call support at Netflix.  I must always do what my sister tells me and so I called support.  

"I wish we had Season 4" the support person told me.  "I've been dying to see it myself.  Right now the only places it is available is on Amazon, Hulu or iTunes and you have to pay........blah, blah, blah."


After humiliating myself on the call and whining, "But my sister swears......."  I hung up and noticed I had this voice-mail from Sis.

"Oops, my bad.  It turns out I haven't seen Season 4 but thought I had.  Also, Karen paid for the Fourth Season on Apple.  Sorry." 


Why do I continue, after 65 years, to do everything my sister tells me to do?



# 11 AIN'T THEY SWEET

This is post number 11 in the marathon.

 I guess it is only fair to show an update on the kids.  First of all, they are both boys. (Ouch, ouch, ouch for the upcoming banding!) Ashenhurst is the blonde guy to the left and Ashley is the pure white baby.  Ashley is an okay name for a guy.  After all, we loved Ashley Wilkes in GONE WITH THE WIND.


They are beginning to frolic a bit and hopefully I can get a nice video clip soon to share with you.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

# 10 OSCAR TIME

This is post number 10 in the marathon.

Once again my god-daughter will stroll the Red Carpet at the Academy Awards.  Tomorrow night she will be accompanied by her SO (significant other).  He just happens to be a celebrity in his own right after having been nominated for an Emmy last year for his work on Whale Wars.  (Plus he looks a lot like Ryan Gosling.)


It is my opinion that my god-daughter deserves a lot of fanfare instead of those boring old movie stars, but so far my letter writing campaign to feature her has been to no avail.  Two years ago she most definitely should have been highlighted because her escort was my daughter.  Remember the thrill I reported seeing two of my girls on the Red Carpet with George Clooney?


This post will easily segue into another for my marathon because I shall have to post again when there is a picture of my god-daughter and my GSOIL (god-significant-other-in-law).


Okay, here is what to look for.  God-Daughter will be wearing a black dress, her hair will be up and she will be wearing her glasses.  She looks exactly like her mother.  Her escort will look like Ryan Gosling. People will be approaching them and saying, "Didn't we see you at the Emmy Awards?" 

I'm sure you won't miss them:)

# 9 SINCE SHE ASKED

This is post number 9 in the marathon.
Here are a couple of cute photo updates on my grand nephews Owen and Logan.  Nancy is addicted to these fine boys  (especially Owen) and wanted me to post some pictures since it has been a while.  I stole these from their mom's facebook page.  There were hundreds thousands millions to choose from.  Hope these will be okay for now.

# 8 HAVING AN AFFAIR

This is post number 8 in the marathon.

My sister, speaking about her husband, says to me, "Oh, he's been having an affair with Marie for years.  If I take a trip without him he tells me not to worry because Marie will take care of him while I am away."

Let me now report that my husband is also having an affair with Marie...and not to shock you, so am I.

If you have not tried the delicious meals and desserts by Marie Callender you are missing a whole new lifestyle.  This is not a paid advertisement, simply a personal testimonial.  I'm looking at a fresh baked peach cobbler cooling on the counter right now. YUM!  

Friday, February 24, 2012

# 7 IT TAKES ME A WHILE

This is post number 7 in the marathon.

The light colored chicken in the above picture is Chicken Little.  She was our oldest hen and our only Araucauna.  She moved here with us from Kansas six years ago and was the only surviving chicken from that original flock.  A couple of weeks ago she quit coming inside with the other hens at night.  I would see her out in the day time but she obviously had a nest hidden somewhere and was tending to her eggs.  We searched and searched for the secret nest so we could move her eggs inside the pen and get her inside as well.  Finally I quit seeing Chicken Little out in the day and decided the chicks had hatched or were hatching.  It was exciting to await her reappearance with a little troop of chicks trailing behind her.  Then I found the eggs.  They were cold and abandoned and there has been no sign of Chicken Little.

(I originally posted thus with number 6 in the marathon and then I thought "duh" split the post and add another toward the goal.  It takes me a while sometimes.)

# 6 UNCOMFORTABLE UPDATE



This is post number 6 in the marathon.


One of the highlights of my day was to begin with the trip out to feed the cats.  Vern would come bounding to greet me with great excitement.  It seemed she was leading me to the dish in case I might have forgotten where it was.  She would purr and let me scratch her behind the ears.  She was our "forever kitten".  Her mother was David and Vern was the exact clone of her mother except Vern never grew beyond kitten stage.  The other kittens born around the same time as Vern quickly tripled her size.

Cats come and go around here.  I never know how many I will have to feed in the morning, but I always knew Vern would be there.  One morning about four weeks ago, Vern did not show up for breakfast and I can only hope someone thought she was a kitten and scooped her up to take her to a good home.  The other cats seem to sense my lack of enthusiasm for feeding time these days.



# 5 NOT JESUS


This is post number five in my personal marathon.






Here is one of my 2012 submissions to the Julie Kay Portrait Party.    I dropped out for a bit due to all the other stuff going on in our lives but little by little I am getting back into the program.  And, no that is not Jesus:)

# 4 IT'S BEEN A WHILE

This is my fourth post in the marathon.

I have not shared any of my artwork for a while.  These are my note card designs.  It is nice to be able to send cards to friends and family that are my own creations and that reflect my love of farm life.  Yes that is a cow and a rooster in the barnyard scene in case you were confused:)

Thursday, February 23, 2012

# 3 BABY OH BABY

This is post # 3 in the marathon.

Polly had twins!!!  Born on Ash Wednesday, they are named Ashley and Ashenhurst.  Of couse I don't know yet if they are girls, boys or one of each.  Sorry for the graphic photo, but you can see they had only been born a short time before the picture was taken.  Our Billy goat, Tandy Kid, may be gone but definitely not forgotten.  We had hoped he had done his job well before leaving. We're not sure but Elizabeth and Tina might be pregnant also.  We're watching closely. 

# 2 RAISE THE ROOF

This is my second post in the marathon.

Our Tulsa house needs a new roof.  We have gotten quotes from three roofing companies ranging from $4800 to $7500 and none include all the work needed.  Each has extra fees for guttering an eave work and several have wording in the contract that allows for extra dollars to be applied if they run into this, that or the other while putting on the new roof.  It was getting scary until my bil found the name of a fellow who lives in a small town nearby who does this work and has a good reputation and wonderful references.  That roofer called last week with the lowest bid of all. 


This roofer's price is for everything.  This roofer does not have a contract.  "My word is my bond" he said.  "The price I quote is the price."  Plus we did not need to be worked into a lineup.  They started the work yesterday. 

"Should we be there to pay you?"  I asked.

"No.  You check the work and when you are satisfied you can pay me."

"Will you need cash or a cashier's check?"

"No.  Your personal check will be fine."

Of course I am jumping the gun posting this glowing report, but we just know we have found the right man for the job.  He comes highly recommended and we know why.  He is a contractor from the "good ole days" who works on a handshake and takes pride in his work and his word. My son is sending us photos of the work in progress and they expect to finish today.

# 1 LET THE MARATHON BEGIN

March 9th will mark the 7th year of my blog, FOOLS RUSH IN.  It was my desire to have 70,000 visitors by that date.  I have already exceeded that number.  I hoped to have 100 followers.  That number has also been achieved.  My desire to reach 2000 posts by that time is another matter.  I am short 52 posts that I need to reach in 16 days.  This one counts as #1.  I need to post 3 1/4 blog entries per day.  Bear with me as I go for it.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

CABIN FEVER

What is a cure for cabin fever?  How about a trip to the nearby Cabin Creek Battleground?  We have lived here six years and planning to find this historic site.  Yesterday as the cabin fever hit us both, I grabbed the camera and off we went.  The battleground was not an easy place to find. This was not a day for a reenactment of the battle, but we did see where that reenactment takes place and we were able to quietly walk in the area of the last two Civil War battles in Indian Territory (Oklahoma), on Cabin Creek in July, 1863 and September, 1864.  Click this link to read about this historic battleground involving both "colored" and "indian" troops.


 
 











These are not beautiful, scenic photographs but the highly wooded areas give you an idea of what the entire area must have looked like a the time of the engagements.  The cleared area in the last photo are where the reenactments take place and the field is marked with flags of the different regiments.  Picture four is a shot of the creek. You actually get a sense of walking on hallowed ground as you imagine those who fought and died in the very spot you are standing.

Monday, February 20, 2012

QOTW 02-20-12 ...IF YOU JUST SMILE

Question Of The Week 02-20-12



What makes you smile?






“Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”
~ Mother Teresa 






Thursday, February 16, 2012

GOODS AND SERVICES

 
Is it just our local area WalMart or is yours out of everything?  Are other stores running low on inventory too.  At first I thought it was a re-stocking day but returning the next week, the things I needed were still gone and this week the same.  

You can be sure that those items will reappear sometime but in smaller packages and at much higher prices.   Obviously transportation costs are delaying restocking because the trucks make fewer trips to deliver the replacement items because they can't afford the fuel to transport?


We have been running out of services for a long time and now it appears we are running out of goods...

If only we could run out of "bads"!

Monday, February 13, 2012

QOTW 2-13-12 HELP!

 Question Of The Week 02-13-12


For what do people typically ask your help?


Friday, February 10, 2012

JUST PICTURES

Enjoy a look at these pictures posted on 1-1-11.  They tie into my post from Wednesday.

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

FUTURE DRAMA

Trouble is a brewin' as Rooster Chicklet keeps his eye on two young roosters.  

Some of you may remember that Mr. Gibson hatched five chicks in September.  They were named Bonnie, Clyde, Huey, Huey and Huey.  It turns out that I was right about Clyde.  He is a rooster, but so is Bonnie.  They are starting to get in Chicklet's cross hairs as he works to keep them away from his ladies.

All three Huey's are hens. They stay close to their brothers and do not mix with the rest of the flock.  That will work nicely for now. This was an exciting week as two of the Huey's laid their first eggs.


It doesn't take much to guess the direction of this unfolding drama.  As the five young ones mature the greater interest Rooster Chicklet will pay to them and it won't be long until we have another rooster battle.   It is my hope that they can co-exist and maybe we can buy some more hens so each guy can develop his own harem.


If you remember Rooster Jack Bauer, you might be pleased to know that he free ranges over at his new home and has never attempted to cross the road back to us.  He's in Hog Rooster Heaven with his very large harem.

(My granddaughter Beth was here this weekend and spent a great deal of time stalking my chickens to catch this nice picture for my blog. Thank you Bethie!)

Monday, February 06, 2012

QOTW 02-06-12 FANTASY OR REALITY

Question Of The Week 02-06-12



How has your life been different than what you’d imagined?

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

MOLLY OR QUEEN?

My sister called shortly before dark Monday evening to share their unfolding adventure.  It seems an unfamiliar cat was trapped in a tree in their backyard.  It was frightened and crying.  My bil had made several attempts to rescue the feline at the exclusion of climbing up himself to retrieve it.  He has a heart condition and this would not have been a wise move. 


Sis told me her spouse was on his way to the fire department to see if they would or could help  They could not and would not.  So much for the stories of firemen rescuing stranded cats.  All they could do was suggest placing an open can of cat food at the base of the tree to entice the cat down.


There was a lot of unrest in their household watching the cat and keeping an eye on their dog each time he went out so he wouldn't eat the cat food. Plus they imagined the food would attract all kinds of critters into their yard during the night.  The next morning the stranded cat was still huddled in the tree with untouched cat food on the ground.

After searching google for possible answers to the dilemma they decided on calling a tree trimmer.  The man came out and using his proper equipment for tree climbing, rescued the cat.  The tree man gently placed the saved cat on the ground.  The beautiful calico sniffed the food then turned haughtily and walked away to what we assume was the direction of her home.  My sister who had planned on having this rescued cat in her life forever since it would feel such a sense of gratitude, was offended as, after all their trouble and expense, the cat just walked away.  "Bitch" my sister muttered.  

Thus arrived the question of what do you call a female cat.  Everyone knows a female dog is a bitch and a male cat is a Tom.  Does everyone know that a female cat is either called a Queen or a Molly?  This one was undoubtedly a Queen.  She did not bother to run away, she simply departed at her own pace very regally without so much as a "by your leave".