March 1 - Almost Spring??

We can see the brown fields and grass now with snow piles just on the edges and the days are getting warmer so I think Spring is around the corner! Maybe the groundhog was right this year. There has already been some bad flooding in Ft. Dodge (about 45 min. from here).

Bill went to a gun show Sun. and bought one he's wanted for a few years. He and Tim are on a road trip today to look at some equipment. They got our corn all hauled from the grain bins to the elevator a couple of weeks ago. Our neighbor is still hauling. I think Bill told me our bins hold 58 semi loads!

Since I last posted, Bill and I have continued on our diet, and we're doing pretty well. I have found a few good, lower calorie main dish recipes that I'll share with you. I've been having steel cut oats for breakfast quite a bit. I cook them in my little dip size crock pot overnight. It's nice to get up and have that hot bowl of cereal ready. We've been walking on the treadmill about 5 out of 7 days a week. There are no gyms anywhere near us so we have to be self motivated when it comes to exercise!

Diane has been having to work 6 days a week for several weeks due to the Postal Services' disorganization so I've been babysitting. Lacey is learning lots in kindergarten this year and Camry is growing and about ready to crawl.

We went to the Naples, Florida area for about a week in January. Will post about that another day. It's always so good to get away from winter weather to a warmer place even just for a few days!

I'm getting ready for a trip to Indiana to do a customer stamp class and downline meeting. Sale-A-Bration continues through this month. (see Sale-A-Bration flyer on the right - click on it to see the things you can choose from for Free with a $50 order!) I made several Valentine cards this year. This one pictured was one of my favorites. It uses embossing folders with the Big Shot, scalloped heart embosslit and our heart punch. Also the stamp set Teeny Tiny Wishes, the word window and modern label punches and silver brads. Hearts like this would be great on wedding and anniversary cards and scrapbook pages too!

I think I hear the treadmill calling. I want to get that done early today. It's a nice sunny day for looking out the windows while walking. I have a day off from cooking lunch so hope to get a lot done on stamping projects for the Ind. trip.

Don't forget to leave comments once in a while! It's super easy and you all tell me you always look for and like reading the comments!

Be Back in March

I've been thinking about whether I should continue the blog or not since I think I've covered most of "life in rural Iowa". Bill and I are trying to lose some weight so I'm not making any recipes that I think you'd like to read about right now although I am definitely trying some new ones! (Bill says "yuck" - please send us recipes or suggestions!) Many days there just isn't much to write about - we're not too exciting!

I've decided that I'll take a break until March 1st when farming picks up again (and winter thinks about being over). I'll keep my Stampin' Up! things on the sidebar updated and post whenever there is something new with stamping/scrapbooking. Sale-A-Bration starts January 25th - spend $50 and have a choice of several stamp sets or a few other items for each $50 order! Contact me to order or order online 24 hours a day (click on Order Online 24/7 or on my web site address above right). You can also see our entire catalog online. For anyone local, let me know if you're interested in coming to a class!

Blogging kind of becomes a one way thing too. Some read my blog and then feel like they know all about what we're doing, but then I don't hear back from them. Maybe I will if not blogging - we'll see. It has helped me feel connected with many of you. Thankfully, Facebook really does too. Technology has definitely made my transition from Indiana to Iowa much easier.

Thanks for reading since November 2008! Hope you'll check back in March.

More Snow

Not much happening here right now to blog about. Kids went back to school today after being out Mon. & Tues. for the 12" of fluffy snow that we got. My P.E.O. meeting for Tues. night was canceled since we were supposed to have wind - but didn't. Tonight it is -4 at 8:00.

Farmers have classes that they go to in the winter so Bill and Tim have been going to some of those. He usually has his physical, goes to the dentist, gets his eyes checked, etc. in the winter. Farmers have to file taxes earlier so he's been working on that for both personal and farming. I've got 3/4 of my tax work done for the Stampin' Up! business.

A friend and I went to the Wed. program & coffee (or in my case tea - not a coffee drinker) at the library today. This week's program was on organization and mainly the bedroom closet. The main thing was to take everything out of your closet totally so that you can clean it good. Then have bags for Goodwill/donation, throw away (anything stained or torn), a box for things that go in other rooms and a try on pile. Then put clothes back in grouped by color and sorted by sleeve length on the shirts. Put skirts together and pants together, etc. Most other things should go in containers or an organizer of some type.

We're supposed to be ruthless about getting rid of stuff! I've gotten better at that in recent years after helping to clean out grandparents' and dad's stuff. It's hard to give up some sentimental things or something that's still "good" (but hasn't been used for who knows how long) but sometimes needs to be done. I try to tell myself that if I donate it, somebody will get some good out of it rather than it sitting around in my house collecting dust.

Since I did a major move to Iowa only 3 years ago and then we moved from the old house to the new one just a year ago, plus Goodwill has been here several times lately, our closets are in good shape. I do have a few boxes in the storage room to go through.

Bill and I are both trying to exercise most days and doing pretty well with that. We have a TV in the room where the treadmill and bike are and can see out windows two directions. I'm usually in there early evening and can watch the sunset.

Feeling Blue (Colts Blue)

So sad that the Colts lost the game by one point tonight but will be back next year! Sad to not have the games - and possible Super Bowl - to look forward to. Do have to be honest and say that they rely toooo much on kicking field goals. Frustrating for this fan. Need to go for the TOUCHDOWNS!!! Hope that Dallas Clark and others injured this season will be back to start the season in the fall. A bonus next year is that Super Bowl will be in Indianapolis!

We're supposed to get 5-7" of snow starting tomorrow and all day Monday.

Will leave you with something I think is funny. I babysat the girls today and out of the blue, Lacey asked me if I have eyes in the back of my head. I said "nooo" and thinking "huh???" She said "my mommy does" and I realized what she was talking about! Gotta love the funny things kids say! When Diane came in, I asked her if she had eyes in the back of her head and she quickly said : "of course, all mommies do"!

Christmas Cards

These are the cards I was working on before Christmas making 80+ of them. Most were made like the third one.

These snowflake cards use the Northern Flurry embossing folder with the Big Shot, the Northern Frost decorative die cut strip, some have rhinestones, some have pearls, the scalloped oval punch and the bashful blue scalloped layer is from the magnetic movers and shapers die. The snowflakes are all still available even though they were in the Holiday Mini Catalog.

I've made sympathy & birthday cards this week too but some readers are still receiving them so will wait to show you those.


As of yesterday, you can order from Stampin' Up!'s new Occasions Mini Catalog (picture and link here on the right). To order from it (and me), click on Order Online 24/7 above and then Shop Now on my web site!














This was the view from our living room window last night. I never get tired of all the pretty sunsets.

GO COLTS!!!!!!

I'm VERY happy to be getting to watch the Colts game this afternoon!!!!! Des Moines CBS did not choose to show the last two. :( I'm lucky that I have a bunch of my Indiana friends as Friends on Facebook so during the games we're watching the game and commenting with each other. Makes me feel not so far away.

We had icy weather on New Year's Eve but had planned to stay home anyway. There just isn't any place that good or exciting to go to around here on cold winter nights. We watched a Netflix movie and had shrimp and meatballs. I also tried Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls (one of Bill's favorite foods) so the house smelled great. Click HERE to go to the recipe.

Yesterday I took the ornaments off the tree and put away all the other decorations. Bill folded up the tree and put it in the boxes and got them taken downstairs. We're glad to have that job done.

Now to work on book work for taxes although we've kept up pretty well throughout the year.