Unusual Recipe

One of my former stamp customers who lives in southern IL mentioned on Facebook Fri. that she made something new for breakfast, Fluffy Pancakes, and gave the recipe. So I cut the recipe in half and made it for us yesterday. Very strange how the sides went up but Melissa said hers did too and that one of her sons was "concerned" as it was rising! Pretty good and fun to try but not sure I'm keeping the recipe!

Bill & Tim are back to combining this afternoon. Karen & Dave are bringing the kids down to ride since it's a good day for that. 4 year old Matthew talks a lot about Uncle Bill and tractors.

Our weather temps. are supposed to change drastically starting tonight - from 80 today to highs in the 50's. I had to cut the grass long yesterday so going back over it at the normal height today. Will enjoy being outside while it's still so nice!

Go COLTS!! I get to watch them on TV tonight - 2 weeks in a row!!

Harvest has Resumed

Our temporary rye grass yard grows like crazy and it's been wet. This is a before picture. I did get it cut today finally.

Our propane tank needs paint badly before winter. I've got 3 electric sanders from Tim to choose from - my next project.



Another gorgeous sunset tonight!

This morning I went up to West Bend's Fall Fest and Farmers' Market. They have some nice gift shops. Today everything was 20% off, and all shops had door prize drawings. The town was full of shoppers on a really nice Fall day. There was a Harvest Meal at the Community Center which I picked up 2 for our lunch; shredded turkey sandwiches, homemade baked beans and chips for a freewill offering. They also had pieces of apple pie for sale - and it was all for sure homemade - a nice change. Apple pie is Bill's very favorite and he asks for it all the time so he was happy. I also took pictures of The Grotto of Redemption for a future blog post - a neat place!

They were able to start combining again at about 5:00 - until 7:30. The elevator opens tomorrow at 1:00.

Just Misc.

We're having another rain delay so I just have some misc. pictures to post today. We had light rain about all night last night so there are some puddles. Bill has been catching up on bookwork, and I'm working on Stampin' Up! business. Bill's sister is here today so she and Peggy came over to visit a little.

I keep posting pictures of our beautiful sunsets, but the sunrises are pretty too! We just aren't up that early very often! This is the morning view from our kitchen & eating area.

These are what the acorns look like in Blue Earth, MN! They were on the ground under the Jolly Green Giant. I noticed right away that they were different than the ones I'm used to. The cap is frilly!

Kind of like when a friend and I went to a stamping/scrapbooking event in Michigan and we saw black squirrels there! We looked funny running around in a park trying to take pictures of a squirrel!

It's Apple Orchard Time!

I had an appointment in Ft. Dodge early this morning and then on to Algona for an afternoon dental appointment. So I was gone most of the day.

I've always liked going to the apple orchard in the Fall and was afraid there wouldn't be a fun one to go to out here - but there is. This one is actually better than the one in Mooresville, IN that I always liked because it has a sit down area to have lunch or apple dumplings, etc. and an attic gift shop with much nicer gift items to look at than you'd expect at an apple orchard! So I got my first Jonathan apples of the season today - and they have great Sweet Corn Salsa!

I like barns and saw this pretty one between Ft. Dodge & Algona.

Bill called this evening to say they were back in the field trying to combine so I took the first meal to the field. We just do sandwiches in the evenings since we have our main meal at lunch/noon. I didn't get to ride since the beans were getting too tough by the time I got there (too much moisture) - so they quit.

Hours of Stamping

This past weekend I traveled to St. Louis to stamp with some of the girls in my downline. There were 7 of us. As usual, we stamped until 1:00 am Fri. night and 3:30 am Sat. night!

This is in the breakfast room of a Comfort Suites hotel where we stayed. As you can see, we bring lots of stuff! We had to clear everything out Fri. night so they could have breakfast in there the next morning. Then we could move back in at 11:00 Sat morning!

We brought completed cards to swap with each other and made lots of cards and 3-D projects while there. These are all for the purpose of having samples of all that we sell to show our customers.

We had 2 tables set up just for the paper cutters, 2 Big Shots and punches!

One of the gals brought some homemade chicken & wild rice soup, rolls, grapes, carrot & celery sticks with dip so that we didn't have to stop and go out to eat although we did go across the street to a good Italian restaurant on Fri. night! We all bring other snacks too.


It was a long drive but well worth it. Nice to see the Missouri rolling scenery.

Go Colts!

I got back last night from many hours of stamping all weekend in St. Louis with some of my downline. Have been unloading, unpacking, doing laundry and getting organized today. Going to be showing all of my stamped stuff to Mary Jeanne & Peggy tomorrow. Will post pictures soon.

Sorry to have missed some Indiana former farmer/family friends who were in the area the day I left. They called the house but I was on the road trip and Bill was in the combine.

Combining is at a standstill due to rain this morning and again this afternoon.

So for now, this is it except for GO COLTS!!!!

Harvest Has Begun!

I'm excited that I know how to add videos to the blog for this Fall! Today was the first day of combining - beans are ready first. All seemed to go well with the new combine! Here are videos of getting started in the field around Tim's house, the view from inside the combine and dumping beans into the semi (and Tim in front of the truck)- enjoy!

Stamp Class Last Night

Very exciting - I had my first stamp class in our new house in the awesome space we have for them in the basement!!! I had not had a class since April due to getting ready to move so it was nice to have one again and definitely helped my sales! I love, love, love how it all worked out - there is so much room now for tables and people to move from project to project and work at their own speed. It's great!














These were the 3 things we made last night. The card on the left uses the new Medallion stamp with Cameo Coral and Soft Suede ink and ribbon (this card was designed by one of my recruits in Indiana, Michelle). The middle card is a stair step card using the Upsy Daisy stamp set and some of our retired designer paper. The card on the right was designed by Bev Victory and uses the Big Shot to make the leaves, our Boho Blossoms punch for the flowers, the large oval punch to make the vase, the word window punch and eyelet border punch.

Another Beautiful Sunset

I try to notice the sunset every night especially now that it's framed by our great room windows (see last picture - you'll have to enlarge it to see that it was taken from inside the great room). It's been a non event for several nights but last night was great. With ones like this, I just sit on the couch and enjoy the show. Wonder when I'll get tired of them?


This one even has the moon showing faintly.

The Colors of Fall

You can find all of the shades of Fall now. From yellow beans . . .








to drying corn to . . .
someone combining near Bradgate today! I had an appointment for a mammogram in Humboldt and saw this on the way back!

Back to the basement for me - working on stamping projects for a trip this weekend and looking forward to the stamp class here tomorrow night!

Busy Weekend

Diane needed a babysitter for Lacey for Sat. morning while she delivered mail. So I got to pick Lacey up from daycare for the first time and she spent the night Fri. I thought this little black dress with matching little flog flops was so cute. She wore this dress to a recent wedding.

We had breakfast (blueberry pancakes) and lunch out on the screened porch yesterday - perfect day to do that.

The boys came over last night for pizza and the NASCAR race. Now that we have a nicer TV, we seem to be more popular!

I'm getting ready for my first stamp class here in the new house Tues. night and a weekend of planning upcoming projects for classes with some of my downline in southern Illinois next weekend. Probably a good thing the Colts game isn't on here today.

Locking Doors

Last evening we had a nice meal at the community center - celebrating the bank's 75th anniversary. They had a pork loin sandwich, homemade potato salad and baked beans (both very good), chips and soft serve ice cream. Big turnout. They had music at the gazebo in the middle of town after the meal.

Afterward, Bill went to burn an old house with the fire dept.

Read this in Country Woman magazine - this was almost me when I moved here - except I grew up in the country that turned to city!

"I grew up in a city, so I really appreciated the beauty of the country when my husband and I moved to Iowa. One fall day, we were driving down a gravel road admiring the dazzling colors, when we came to three cows standing in the middle of our path. My husband stopped the car, and without thinking, I screamed "Roll up the windows and lock the doors!" Immediately, my husband started laughing and reminded me that cows couldn't open even unlocked car doors."
Mary Talbot
Webster City, Iowa

Being from an Indianapolis suburb, since moving here I still keep the house doors locked, take the keys out of the vehicle whether at the store or in the garage, shut & lock most windows at night or if leaving for a while, etc. - but I'm getting a little better! I will go in places here in our town and leave the car unlocked - maybe! Bill just shakes his head but luckily puts up with it!

More Gravel at Bin Site

You won't think this is a big deal, but for us, all this new gravel at the bin site is! :) When the weather was just right, this could get pretty squishy for the semis. And now it's a little less area to mow!

This is just north of Bill's mom's house about a half mile. There are 5 grain bins here but no house.

This was done a few days ago when we got gravel for our driveway - 250 ton total.

Colors are Changing Fast

I took this picture Fri. of one of our bean fields that had starting turning yellow. The colors in the fields are changing fast now though. Some of the farmers are predicting that they'll start combining around the 20th!

Bill has been getting equipment ready and cleaned up.

Today I went to Algona for a dental appointment. I'm having to get a bridge which involves the tooth I had pulled and will mean 3 crowns. Another appointment to come. Algona is about 45 min. away and has 2 nice groceries, a K Mart, a fancy newly remodeled coffee shop, a good Chinese restaurant, a DQ, at least 3 really nice gift shops including a Lang store and more - so that's a good thing about having to go to Algona!

On my way back, I stopped in the small town of Whittemore - at Eischen Sausage Haus. Had read an article about it. Was told that the owner is about 80 and is selling the store soon. Bill knows him and says he's a nice guy. It smelled good in there!

On the way home, I happened to see this van at Skoglund Meat & Locker in West Bend. Bill farms the fields next to their house, and we like to buy meat, cheese, steak & roast rub & Butter Braid 2nds there. They have a cute little rustic store. (did you know that Butter Braids are made here in West Bend? another blog post!) They also have a window where you can stand and watch them cutting meat. I had always wanted to see that! This is what the backs of our vehicles look like sometimes from the dusty country roads! I liked this dust artwork!

Bread is a Success!

I'm borrowing Mom's bread machine - actually it was supposed to go back with her when she was here in Aug. but we forgot. I brought it back with me in June but had only tried using it once. Until . . . I read an Indiana friend's blog! She's baking all of her family's bread now once a week and has blogged about it - along with pictures.

She uses the Dough cycle only and when that's done, she takes the dough out, kneads it a little, shapes the loaf and puts it in a bread pan to bake so that she ends up with a nice bread shaped loaf instead of the shape that the bread machine does.
This was the first time I tried it that way with her Oatmeal Honey recipe and was thrilled with the way it turned out! And very easy and quick!

Click here to go to Denise's blog and scroll down to Sept. 2nd for this recipe, her pictures and instructions! You'll enjoy her blog. She has another bread post back in Aug. I think. Don't forget that bloggers like comments so leave her one if you like hers! Denise is the one that got me started blogging - thanks Denise, it's been fun!

Ryanne (Part II)

More pictures from Fri. when we took Ryanne home. Blue Earth is home to a very large Jolly Green Giant! There was a Green Giant plant in Blue Earth but it has been sold to another company. The light wasn't right for taking his picture from the front. There is another better picture of him on the blog somewhere. You can see how big he is by the last 2 pictures - his shoes are almost as tall as Ryanne & I! It was fun to see him up close & take pictures!

Got to see the boys at church yesterday and ask them about their first week of college. They like it! Rob came over and watched the NASCAR race with us last night since everyone else at his house was gone - Ross & Reed back to school and Glenn & Amy to a rodeo.

The weather this holiday weekend has been really, really nice. It's foggy this morning but supposed to be sunny & 80 today. Our town & the next are deserted this weekend - most people go to the lakes or camping. So it's nice and quiet.

Yesterday I made a special Sun. lunch of fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, fresh green beans, and Bill's very favorite thing, apple pie. This was the meal that Glenn & I asked for on our birthdays - and whenever we all ate at Mom's. Mine was almost as good as hers.

It's All About Ryanne!

Yesterday, we went with Bill's mom to take Ryanne home after her visit of a few days with Memaw. We stopped in a town called Buffalo Center. There's a shoe store that's been around for years that Bill gets his work boots at (much cheaper than he can get them anywhere else) and he needed some new ones. I told Ryanne that she and I needed to take some pictures when I saw this guy. Buffalo Bill maybe??

Pretty flowers in front of the bank.










Ryanne liked the dogs at the shoe store. Bill & Peggy said the Golden Retriever has been there as long as they can remember!

There were buffalos painted on the sidewalk at every corner.

After passing the phone booth, had Bill go back to get a picture of Ryanne with it. She had never seen one she said - except for on TV! This one even worked! More pictures tomorrow - we had fun doing them.

Are we done yet?

Bill has been hard at work here at the house again. He moved our mailbox from the old driveway to the new. I should've taken a before & after picture. This is the same box but just had a skinny metal post before so this seems "fancy" to us!

We have this narrow area between the sidewalk and house. Bill dug out the sand about 18" deep and filled it with good dirt. I'll most likely pant annuals here.

The weather has been so nice but the sun was hot for this work. Bill says now he's ready to go to the field! And on a trip to Pocahontas this morning, I noticed that there's more yellow appearing in many fields! The grain cart was repaired in Poky and was ready. Bill's pulling it back with a tractor, we're dropping the Pilot off for an oil change, and then heading to Blue Earth (MN) with Peggy to take Ryanne back.

Craft/Stamp Room Improvements

Progress in the stamp room today! After lunch, Bill put up my curtain rods that I use to hang all of my Stampin' Up! punches on! I use our punches ALL the time so having these back on the wall is great! So handy.

I also put up my "Create" Decor Elements to the left of the punches. Click on the photo to see it larger if you need to. We sell lots of different art for your walls like this. If you're interested, go to my web site (top right) and then Products, then Catalogs, then Decor Elements.

Stampin' Up! just came out with our own digital scrapbooking program called My Digital Studio - for sale now! I'll be mentioning more about that real soon! I'm attending a webinar to learn more about it this evening!

Ordering from the new Holiday Mini catalog began Sept. 1. If you haven't received one in the mail from me and would like one, please let me know - or it can also be viewed online through my web site.

Cucumbers Really Do Float

At a birthday party I went to last week, the guest of honor mentioned that her family always comes to Pond Park in the summer to have a cucumber boat race. We all said "What??????" She said that they make boats out of cucumbers with sails even and see who can get theirs across the pond first! So when niece, Ryanne, came over last night, I had a good excuse to try it! Ryanne was up for it and I happened to have an extra cucumber!


We made our sails using bamboo kebob skewers and printer paper. I named mine the Miss Iowa. Uncle Bill happened to be coming through town as we headed to the park so I called him and made him come watch and he couldn't resist trying it himself! We need to come up with a new sail design (probably smaller - and plastic?) before next time but at least we now know that cucumbers do float! Ryanne and Memaw stopped by the park today and found that our boats had made it across the pond, and Ryanne thinks she won since hers was a little farther.

We decided to try a tomato too and walked down to the creek behind our house to see if the current would carry it downstream. That was fun! Forgot to take a picture of the tomato bobbing down the creek.