Flashback memories

 Every now and then there is something shared on facebook that is a "Do you remember this?" photo or quote.

Today I saw this one posted:

The question was asked;  how many had learned to read using these books.
I smiled at the memory.

I believe these books were actually commonly used a little bit earlier than when I started school, however I went to Kindergarten in a little one room school house, situated way back in some canyons of the area of NE that I grew up in.
There may have been a total of 6 or 7 students, one teacher
and it probably did not have the "latest" and "greatest" in textbooks & supplies.
(Nor did it have indoor bathrooms!!)

(I'm really not THAT old.....It just happened to be the part of the country that we lived in!--smile!)

If I remember right it was also the last, or the next to the last year that county schools included 8th graders.
By the next school year, we had moved, and I believe the country school had closed.

Anyway, back to me being a Kindergartener, and Dick & Jane.
I was the only Kindergartner
The teacher brought out these little readers to teach me to read.
I looked at the book, thumbed thru the pages, looked up at the teacher and said:
"I could read this for yea's & yea's (I could not say my "R"s)

My mother had taught me to read back when I was 3 & 4, and I had already devoured all the Dr. Seuss books by that time.

I really liked that teacher, and later when we moved & I went to town school, she was one of the teachers there, and always teased me about telling her I could read for yea(r)s & yea(r)s!

I guess that was the beginning of my love affair with books. In grade school I quickly went thru every book available in the school's tiny library.  I've often wondered if I would have started learning math when I was 3 & 4 if I would have been good at it!

The books have been out of print for many years but  6 years ago when our youngest was ready to start public school, she was worried about not being able to read and decided she needed to learn before she went to school.  I found a reprint--a big book "Treasury of Dick & Jane" combining all the early readers, and bought it.
She spent hours laying on the floor with the book in front of her.  With very little help, she taught herself to read.
Out of my 12 kids, although they have all been good readers and like to read, she's probably been the one who has devoured the most books, and read more advanced for her age the earliest.

Maybe there's something to be said for "Dick and Jane, Spot and Puff and baby Sally after all!

Thanksgiving day

 Somehow hosting Thanksgiving really helps to make a house feel more like a home!
It was pretty special to have my MIL and SIL come out here for the day, and to have our Shayla Rose get home in time for our dinner also.

I work better when I have a deadline, so there was some projects that I was quite happy to get done before company arrived.  If you've looked at the pictures on the "House to Home" page, you can see the shutters turned cabinet doors for my kitchen that my husband got done, and also the old screen door used as a room divider that he surprised me by getting fixed & attached.

 Our table sits 12 -14   There were 12 of us plus 3 little's.  Lyrah was in the high stool at the other end beside G'ma J and Bethany & Jaith in  high-chairs.  Unfortunately I managed to crop in too closely and missed getting Jaith in the picture.

We were so pleased that it worked out for Grandma J to come out.  It's hard to have a feel for where someone lives without seeing it, so now hopefully she can picture us here a bit better.
These are Jeanne's two, Lyrah 3 and Jaith 1.

 Three of my little grandkids with their Great Grandma J.  (Ryan & Alishia's little girl Bethany, in the middle)  She has the next birthday, turning one in Dec!

How many of you are pintrest fans?  I love pintrest!  I have always loved looking at magazines and bookmarking the place for some cool idea I saw.  It's really bad when you thumb thru a magazine at the store and see one or two ideas you want to remember and go buy the magazine--It cost at least $5.00 and then takes up space with the other stack of magazines you couldn't resist.
Of course, then when you move you have to go thru them to see what you have to save & still move to many of them.
I speak from experience.
Enter pintrest.  Find anything.  pin on one page.  One giant bulletin board that takes up no room in your house. Things that you admire, that you'd like to do, that you might like to do someday, Receipes that look good, sound good, you want to try.
Not only that it doesn't cost a thing and you can delete those that either don't turn out well (food) or that you decide really doesn't strike your fancy anymore.

I have over 1000 pins.  Does it matter?  Nope. 
I'm pretty sure I'll never do them or try them all.
Does it matter?  Nope.
Just because I like them, and I pin them doesn't mean I am required to do anything else with it.
I've tried a lot of new recipes, I've gotten some ideas for some of my old "STUFF" I collect.
One thing I look for alot and pin alot of is ideas for using old windows, doors, screens & shutters.
Henceforth my "new" cabinet doors, my room divider and a new use for my vintage window (hanging in front of my living room window)

A while back I found an idea for using old shutters as a table runner for hot food.  I thought it was
a neat idea, and having another old shutter just sitting around I discovered that laid end to end it was the perfect length and width for my table.  I really like it because not only does it work well for all the hot dishes on the table without using my kitchen hot-pads, but it can stay on the table after the meal and make a great base for a centerpiece also!
(We took the tilt rod off the center of the louvers and also the hinges off the side, so it would lay flat)

 I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving.  It's my favorite holiday.  Some of my favorite childhood memories are centered around Thanksgiving gatherings with family & special friends.

Now I'm looking forward to a new grandbaby any day, and making more memories.

 

More house to home page edits

 I should be doing my prep work for Thanksgiving day tomorrow, but as I had several projects I was trying to get done before we had any more company I have been working on them and wanted to get the pictures up too, as I am going to be taking a break on my house and enjoying grand-kids and a new baby that will be arriving any day.
Although I still have a lot of things to do, and quite a few unfinished projects in different stages, I'm quite happy with the way things are going.
Now If I could only figure out how to resign myself to the flies.

To see my new edits, visit my "From house to home" page at the top tab, and there are new edits on the kitchen, the livingroom, and the dining room.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 
 

Sunrise to Sunset

 Since we moved to a different part of the state I've once again been inspired to pick up my camera.
I have to say that I am totally in love with the view "out here". (Did I mention that before?)

Those of us who live here in NE and especially those B&R here who are familiar with NE off I-80 know that this state is filled with diverse scenery.
I love hills.  I love trees, I love canyons.  However I realize that I like best not being surrounded by so many trees that I can't see "out".
I love driving this end of the state and seeing everything from lush green river side on one side of the road to bare rocky sand hills on the other side. I love the canyons! Heading down from the platou of the flat prarie land to the lush green tree pasture land. Coming upon an enterence to a hidden State park I had no idea existed. ( http://www.westnebraska.com/2012/Ash-Hollow-State-Historical-Park/  that is now on my list of want to visit!)  I love being at the top of a hill and being able to see accross the country for endless miles.  A ridge of sand hill "mountains" against the horizon.  The sky, endless blue. I love seeing the sunrise, not over the trees, but thru them.  I love seeing the huge expanse of colorful sky in the evening sunset across the prairie land.

I think one of the reasons I like this spot so well, although most of my life has been spent in the "flat lands" of the state, I have roots to two other areas of NE that are more similar to this.
As painful as the process of moving was, as much as I miss some special people,
This feels good.  It feels right.
Now that I'm thru the hardest patch, I'm loving my life and once again smiling that

"It's Monday again"!

The sunrise-view from the kitchen windows (or in this case, my front porch looking east!)

 

 

 Looking from our house across the driveway

 A view South from the front of our house

 South from our house. The house/trees sit next to the highway

 I was loving the way the snow settled on this bush in front of our house.  It looked like balls of cotton or a "real" snowball bush

 I love sunsets, and where we lived before they were mostly hid by trees and the position of our place.  Out here it is wide open space and we can see the whole sky.
Obviously my kids are intrigued too, as they keep taking off with my camera to capture the beauty.

Had to add these also, playing with my camera at night during the evening of "our" first snow here

 

Beautiful Nebraska land

Views from our spot in Nebraska during October.
Many of these were taken as we traveled the road between former and current homes.
We have been in awe of the beautiful sunsets.

Western Nebraska Sandhill country--I love the view we have!

I wanted to do a slideshow of the photos, but what I used before has closed down and I wasn't having any luck getting something else to work. Unfortunately this doesn't show the photos so well.

Nebraska State Song Beautiful Nebraska * Written by: Jim Fras Beautiful Nebraska, peaceful prairie land, Laced with many rivers, and the hills of sand; Dark green valleys cradled in the earth, Rain and sunshine bring abundant birth. Beautiful Nebraska, as you look around, You will find a rainbow reaching to the ground; All these wonders by the Master's hand; Beautiful Nebraska land. We are so proud of this state where we live, There is no place that has so much to give. Beautiful Nebraska, as you look around, You will find a rainbow reaching to the ground; All these wonders by the Master's hand, Beautiful Nebraska land. * Jim Fras was a Russian refugee who came to Lincoln in 1952.  He composed Beautiful Nebraska in 1960.  In 1967, Beautiful Nebraska was signed into law as the official state song.

Halloween evening fun

Here's our group of funnies, cuties, crazy's & weird people!  Isn't it just fun to dress up?

 The Middle bunch took the younger ones and went out trick or treating for a while.

 Our very cute little stinker baby Bethy.  I didn't get a very good photo of her.

 Mama's and their very cute little girls!


Getting together is always a good excuse to have lots of food--and really yummy food!!
(Along with some funny looking treats too!)

 The avacado dip was reported to be very good!

 Stuffed Mushrooms & stuffed bacon wrapped jalapeno's are a definite hit!

 And some yummy sausage vegetable soup to balance out all the sweets!

 Throw in some ear wax swabs & some eye balls-- heehee!!

And Alisha a beautiful bowl of Syllabub for a treat!

Now my question is, Since it's very much a kids holiday, WHY don't they put Halloween on the last Friday of the month in October so after all that "partying" and candy they didn't have to get up and go to school the next day?  Sure seems like a good idea to me!

October evening view from home

Not in chronological order.
Just views from a beautiful October evening at our new home.
Photography compliments of Morgen.

 

While I was inside trying to finish up my last blog post, I noticed the sky changing and had caught a glimpse of swirling clouds and sunset.
Unknown to me Morgen came in and got my camera and went out and took pictures.
I'm so glad he did.
What I saw thru the window was only a tiny view of a beautiful evening.