"On my way outta here"

Ok, so I said I had figured out the game...Ha! If you want to win a ribbon in the county fair in the "watercolor category" you must paint a painting with WATER in it. Flowers just won't win no matter how many "People's Choice" awards you haul home....

So figuring this was my last year to compete in the Annual Benton-Franklin County Fair, I snuck upstairs and while I was supposed to be scrubbing something for our house showing, I was painting. Uh, water.

Yeah, it won the first place watercolor division, professional. Best of show, and the Gallery award/gift certificate. Sweet. Now I have to go and scrub something....

"A single little pine needle"

Yesterday I was busy sweeping up, (Rosie was worn out and charging) and I looked in the pile of dirt and there it was. "A single little pine needle". I knew exactly where it had come from....it had snuck into my truck and made the trip all the way from the high woods of Idaho. It was no ordinary pine needle...it was a REDFISH LAKE pine needle. I stopped and remembered that I hadn't BLOGGED yet... shame, shame.

Here goes....

Part of the goof troop loaded up camp stuff and headed off towards Idaho. One very hairy occupant really enjoyed the ride....

("she" was the best behaved and quietest passenger on the whole 9 hour drive! But she did eat more than her share of "red vines"!) At last we arrive!

What would Redfish be without a little rain, or cold or ........ but then

the sun always comes out and the water is still really cold and there is a beautiful mountain that just never changes.

And the best part is family everywhere -

Then when I looked at these pictures, the thought came to me that they were somehow familiar.....I did some digging and found some old photos....

cute girls cooking....Joy.

Half-man Blaine on the beach.Wes, taking a picture of me, taking a picture...

Little boy Blaine with his "wank" Is his mouth full of "boardee"?

And then I couldn't help myself.....

Wow -(I really didn't care about being in the will...really)Mom and Dad sunbathers with mom's hair in curlers...Debra and Joy also soaking up rays.

Debra and mom...she is probably cutting me out the will right then.....ok- I know Dad really DOES have his suit on....

Hey, "PEACE MAN" from low key Stephanie...where is that John the Baptist picture?And when I heard the roar of the boat as Wes circled to drop off a skier, I could have sworn it was this guy in the cowboy hat.

Thanks for all the great times. And here is to next year....

My new "BFF"

WARNING...you are gonna want one of these.....

INTRODUCING THE NEWEST MEMBER OF OUR HOUSEHOLD- "Rosie" the iRobot.

She sweeps, she gathers, she vacuums, she spins around all the chair legs, she picks up DOG HAIR, she spits out extension cords, she detects a real dirty spot and spins around on it, she tells me when to clean her filter and empty her canister. She stops at the stairs and turns around and goes over each floor ( she can memorize up to four rooms) 3 to 4 times. She goes over all floors with the greatest of ease, she tells me when she needs her "left wheel needs cleaning" in a real sweet tone and when she is tired she goes back to her "port " and charges up for later!! She is indeed my NEW BEST FRIEND!!

and I need one....

Yeah,"Belle" wanted to chase a squirrel and unfortunately my hand was wrapped around her leash....
And I am so "right handed" that I am humbled once again because I can't do my regular things with an oweeee. ( And it ruined a perfectly good manicure!)

"MOVE"....a four letter word

There is a point in a "move" that you begin taking the home out of your house. We are there.

As we have dug in and started this leaving, there are too many layers....literally. DUST being the most prevalent ( my less than stellar housekeeping skills are discovered once again!)

As the fresh paint covers up the growth chart on my pantry door and then the pencil drawings on the girls bedroom wall, I am struck once again how hard it is to pull up the family roots. AND MESSY...yeah, REALLY MESSY!

I have patched and sanded and painted and scraped. Don has lugged and stacked and hauled away pickup's full. Life takes a lot of stuff. And we are peering down the tunnel for a point of light....it's waaayyyy down there.

Stay tuned. There is more MESS to come before it's over. It can only get worse.

Over too Soon! Denver Days...

After considering all the exotic places to celebrate our anniversary, we chose.....DENVER.

That's right- cause that is where the cutest grandchild is growing up and we needed a fix.

I bought a new little purse and some fresh m&m's and we were off!

Here we are checking out blocks and she is pointing and I am telling her each letter and then she runs and gets another. FUN GAME!

Then out came the stickers and she pasted them on the couch while grandpa watches!

Also, when Mamie left her shoes off, Ella tried them on for a stroll! I was so proud!

Too soon, it was time to go.....I hate this part.

Ella is a wonderful "hugger"....

Bye, bye.

"Thirteen days and still counting"

Yep, that's how many days it took for us to figure out we were meant for each other. Or to trick me as Don would say.... but it worked and on Sunday the 29th of June it will be 30 years. YIKES!

but really girls, who wouldn't have fallen for this.....

It was quite easy you see and the "trick" has been a real fun ride....

Not all the years have been "pure bliss" but it has never been boring or quiet....and I feel pretty darn lucky to have been "tricked" into 30 years. Here's to the next 30.....

"Duh, nuh-nuh-nuh, nuuuuuuuh, nuh......."

If you didn't recognize that song....it is the dreaded "graduation march". Only dreaded by me, I suspect. The "graduate" seemed quite pleased with herself.

And red heads looks great in gold and touches of green.

Off she went in the little red car...deja vu.

All kinds of fans came out for the festivities.....

The gold and green went way up high.
There was a virtual stream of swishing gowns and tasseled tassels.

And then it was over in a flash. The whole school thing paraded out right before our very eyes. And all I could think of through my tears was....

Where, oh where, has my little girl gone.....

Wow, 2 girls done, 2 more to go....ah. Darn.