My Week

This week has been full, it's been emotional and BUSY!  I finished this lovely painting and plan on putting it in a judged show next month along with the next two.  I am immensely proud of these paintings and feel I've come to the next level in my artistic travels.  Next month they will be at The Hive in Jenks.  This month I have five paintings there for a show.  It's a great venue and you OUGHT to go sometime and check it out.  

"Oren's Flowers" 30x24 oil

"Jara's Tulips" 24x24 oil

"Picnic" oil

Today I deliver these skull paintings to The Cottage Gallery for a Skulls show, a prize money show!!! 

I've been hiding away actually in my studio.  Monday was a good day, and not so good.  I got up knowing I was to meet three old high school friends for breakfast and was really looking forward to it, but first was a stop to see my father in the nursing home he is at for his rehab after yet another stint in the hospital.  I'm not sure if I've written about it but he really came close to leaving this earth this time around, and he just does not get it.  Anyway, I went in knowing that Daddy had laid into my brother the day before, wanting to go home.  I knew, KNEW that when he would be feeling better, not good enough to really go home, but good enough that he would be itching to leave and head home to his chair and his cat.  Sure enough he went after my brother.  Bro walked out.  So going in on Monday morning I was ready, or so I thought.  I saw Daddy sitting in the commons area where the residents gather for their meals.  He was sitting with two lovely ladies that he has struck up a friendship with.  I sat down and said, "Hi Daddy." He quickly introduced me as his oldest daughter then he turned and started in on me yelling and banging his hand on his walker.  I was stunned even though I thought I was ready.  He yelled and glared at me and said, "I'M GOING HOME TODAY!" I told him that he was going to stay until he was ready, that he always goes home too soon and then rebounds because he went home too soon.  I told him that this was the third (maybe fourth) time since May he has been in the hospital and he was going to stay until the doctor said go, not him.  He glared and hammered on the walker and yelled again.  I told him he was going to have to quit yelling at me and Bro, that was not acceptable, that we were only trying to help him, that we love him.  That he was acting like a child and was going to stay.  He yelled and whammed his hand again.  I was so embarrassed and was crying and his table mates were whispering to me they were sorry.  His hollering made me realize that he thought we had brought him there to STAY!  Far from it.  I said, "Daddy, when the doctor signs the papers for you to go home, then I will take you home!" He stopped but not before I was so very, very hurt by his words.  His breakfast came, he turned around to eat and I told him I had to go to meet friends and he said "BYE" while eating, I left.  Here it is Saturday morning and I have not been back.  I'm still very hurt and frankly I'm embarrassed to even look him in the eye.  I don't want to face him and probably won't until he goes back home.  You can blame it on his older age, but in reality, that is the old Daddy, one I've seen many times in my life and you cannot blame it on his age, AT ALL!  I then found out that on Thursday my brother got a call from the place that said come quick.  Daddy was railing after someone about going home, that they said he was supposed to be released.  When he goes off, it is not good.  Sis was in the mix too.  Bro got there and figured out (and I told him Daddy only hears what he wants to hear) that he was to be released.  He neglected to glean on the words "released TUESDAY!" He only heard released and he went after that.  Bro let him rail and then said, "Are you through," then went on to explain.  That seemed to settle all of them down, then he left to go back to work.  Bro was in a good place with Daddy up until all this, now he's back to square one.  Daddy can be mean, always could, with words and THOSE EYES!  Scary stuff.  

Monday after the horrible visit I went on to meet three old high school friends and I didn't want it to happen but when I saw Pat and hugged her neck I broke down.  

I just sobbed.  Luckily, they are great friends and it felt good to vent. Pat is a doctor and she told me some stuff that I need to be on the look out for for Daddy.  First he should not even be on any kind of statin drugs at his age!  Second, he needs to find a gerontologist for his care.  Not sure if we can make that happen as Daddy LOVES his stupid doctor, and his stupid care is partly why we are here today.  

Sorry to vent, really, it's just been one of those weeks.

LIfe in Turmoil

Hello, hello.  Life in this household is going full tilt.  So much has happened, is happening and some I don't think I can share, but must.

First of all, dear Daddy-O is yet again in the hospital.  

This is a photo of the last time he was in there.  He doesn't look this good, trust me.  

My siblings and I have been in turmoil trying to decide the best course for him.  He was at home but it was very clear that it was bad this time.  When I walked in the door on Sunday he turned to me and said, "I'm DYING!" Oh my, scared me to death because he had lost so much weight.  His eyes were hollow and he was frightened.  Bro took him to a regular visit to his doctor and it was a miracle he got him in the car, out of the car and in the door.  Then the DUMB ASS doctor said, "He needs to eat and exercise," and SENT HIM HOME!  Clearly he was not seeing or experiencing what we were.  By Thursday Bro loaded Daddy in the car and headed to the hospital.  We were done.  After Bro and Daddy sat in the ER from 3 in the afternoon till (Bro finally left at 11pm) 3 in the morning, they admitted Daddy.  What was happening to him is that his muscles were breaking down and coming out in his urine.  OH MY GOD!  What could be going on here.  I went yesterday and they did an abdominal ultrasound to see about his liver and kidneys suspecting that his cholestrol/statin drug that the DUMB ASS doctor prescribed has been KILLING HIM!  He has all the symptoms that lead to this conclusion.  ALSO, could be that Daddy did forgot to mention (or just flat is in denial) that he was diagnosed many years ago with cirrhosis of the liver.  Clearly, and I'm not a doctor, you DON'T prescribe a patient with cirrhosis statin drugs.  Poor Daddy, he doesn't realize that this may be the end of him living at home by himself.  We cannot watch him 24/7.  We are active people with hugely active lives that we can't just sit with him.  It is time to sell the house and move on to the next chapter but as he gets to feeling a bit better he is under the impression that he will get to go home.  Also, the hospital will get tired of him whining "I want to go home NOW!" and will release him too early.  Well, found out we can stop that because of his medicare, we hope.  We tried to get the D.A. doctor to prescribe home health care which Medicare pays for but he WON'T do it, they DON'T pay for nursing home or assisted living.  Daddy has no money, even after we sell the house, NO MONEY, to pay for assisted living or even a nursing home and Medicaid facilities in this state are almost non-existent, and we don't won't to go there anyway.  I don't know what we are going to do with a stubborn old man and a DUMB ASS doctor.  

Plus sweet Susie may have to find a new home, maybe here!!!! 

Not only are we dealing with Daddy and drama I'm helping with this little project 

Plein Air Tulsa!  

So if you are a Plein Air painter and have not heard about this event, it is taking place October 21, 2017.  Click on the link for more info! 

and......I'm still doing the 30 day painting challenge.  Oh my gosh, it is day 23 and we (my friend Linda and I) are almost at the end.  It has been quite fun and it forces you to paint everyday and you do get better.  So far I've even sold a couple of them and one of them, the skull is going to be in a show next month.  Speaking of art shows, we have been entering all kinds of online and actual shows.  In fact we have several large ones coming up, local and one in Arkansas (that on if we're juried in.)  

AND if that isn't enough for me to be busy with, along with work, next Saturday we having 40-50 of my sweet Mother-in-Laws family and friends to celebrate her 90th birthday here for DINNER!  I really must have rocks in my head to be planning this but I am having it catered so I really just have to get the house ready.  So clean house I have to squeeze into all the time I have in my day.  EGADS!!!!!

I ALMOST FORGOT...

B wrote the most precious accounting of Snicklefritz's friendship with the train conductors and it has gone VIRAL!  Check it out.

Part 2 of Aaaachooo

Yes we are still battling the head cold but mine is soooo much better, in fact this was the easiest cold I've ever had.  They Hubby is still in the throws of  the drainage and coughing up from his chest.  That is usually me.  When I first started coming down with this thing The Hubby said that we didn't have any cold medicine yet when I looked on my side of the medicine chest I found an unopened box of Umcka Care.  It said it cuts the lifespan of colds down.  I was on board and immediately opened and down the hatch it went.  It's an herbal extract and I so sold on the benefits.  In fact my doctor this morning said he has heard of it and the benefits of it working!!!  I'm going to purchase another bottle or two of it and make The Hubby use it.  We've also been using the Mucinex which works wonders too.  Unfortunately, Snicklefritz came down with it Christmas morning along with her mother.  Dang it.  Also, when we went to my Daddy's for Christmas breakfast my brother is in the final states of Type A Flu (he's on the CDC list and he even had a flu shot), my niece has been sick and her momma, my SIL.  None of us wanted to even get close to Daddy.  Tis the season to hack, blow and sneeze I guess.  

The good news is that I am almost over it and when I went to the doctor this morning to have my thyroid checked again my weight was down, slightly, even at Christmas time, and my blood pressure was normal!!!!!  This is the second time it has been in the good range!!!  He was very pleased and so am I.  

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

"Ho-Ho-Ho, Merry Christmas" 14x11 oil on linen

Yesterday, Christmas Eve I of course could not stay asleep so up at 3:45 I was.  After checking out Facebook, my blog, playing a bit on the IPad I decided to paint before the sun came up.  Just to do something since we didn't have to be anywhere till 6 in the evening.  I painted these red roses from a photo I took at Southern Hills Country Club a couple of weeks ago while attending our bank party. I thought it might be fun after the yellow roses.  I'm kind of liking painting roses lately.

And cool, cool, it sold last night to The Hubby's cousin!   

"Christmas Roses" 12x9 oil on senso linen and (SOLD)

I also have not shared the last two because they were gifts and I didn't want the family members to see them yet.  This sweet puppy face is Buddy.  Buddy belongs to The Hubby's brother and his husband and I wanted to paint it for them.  

It turned out so very cute! 

"Buddy" 8x10 oil on senso linen

This photo I took while visiting my mother-in-law a few weeks ago at her retirement place.  These were in the lobby.  I never miss an opportunity to capture a photo of a possible painting.

"Gloria's Roses" 11x14 oil on senso linen

The gifts were huge hits and I can't wait to paint something for more family members.

Christmas Rant

I've been thinking...yes, that's a dangerous thing.  I've been thinking about Christmas when I was a child.  I remember a real tree with actual tinsel that had so much static in it you could hardly get it off your hands to hang on the tree.  I'm not even sure you can find tinsel anymore.  Mother's ornaments I think are long gone, possibly in the attic...yuck...  I believe we kids salvaged all that we could when mother decided to stop putting up a tree.  I still have my old felt stocking that is so fragile it's almost dust.  

I remember mother telling a story of when we were tiny tots and she went in to a local 5&10 store and found a small artificial tree.  She didn't have enough money, like a couple of dollars less than what he wanted for it and I think the thing was $7-8.  She offered what she had, maybe $5-6 and he told her if she couldn't afford to pay full price then she didn't need it.  She was so embarrassed I actually saw her cry.  She only wanted to have something for my brother, sister and I for Christmas.  Most of the time my mother made our Christmas presents, like these pajamas in the photo.  The stockings were filled with oranges, apples and nuts and we maybe got one big package under the tree.  Money rich we were not yet Christmas was a magical time of year.  Christmas carols, pageants at church, and the smells of baking things throughout the house.  Christmas eve at Grandma and Grandpa's with tons of cousins.  We definitely got presents there.  Sometimes it was a package of lifesavers and it was the best present ever.  Then as we got older we were able to make our own money helping Granny and Granddaddy doing various things.  A dollar, a pocketful of change, it all added up and then Granny would take us to the OTHER five and dime store in our small town (avoiding the ogre at the other one) and we would carefully buy for every cousin, aunt, mother, father, brother and sister.  Remember it was very little money and the 5&10 was CHEAP.  A bottle of foul smelling bottle of Midnight in Paris perfume might be fifty cents.  We took great pride in wrapping the gifts and handing them out on Christmas eve.  (Sister never did like what I bought for her.)  Christmas was absolutely magical.  Nowadays, it's not so magical.  I want to see the magic in my granddaughter's eyes.  The sparkle that maybe, just maybe Santa Claus is real.  That there are real reindeer prancing around on her roof. 

With all the commercials, sales, run on stores, everyone afraid that they can't get the MOST expensive gadget or toy for their child, Christmas has lost all magic.  Christmas shows, commercials, even running non-stop Christmas carols on the radio starting the week of Thanksgiving is just TOO MUCH.  I want to forget about everything that is happening in the world right now and live the magic.  Baking, wrapping, making presents, spending time with friends and loved ones celebrating, THAT is Christmas.

Merry Christmas friends.

Aaaaa CHOOOoooooo!

"Ho-Ho-Ho, Merry Christmas"
14x11 oil on linen

Yup, I have a COLD, a head cold.  Thank you The Hubby!  I guess too much kissing.  

Yesterday we went to an open house in which an appetizer was requested to bring.  I was going to make a sandwich kind of thing but realized I had used up my bread for another party this weekend and I JUST COULD NOT go to the store again, at least for a few days.  Soooo, to the fridge and pantry I went digging around for ideas.  What I came up with was cream cheese, sour cream, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, canned corn and cheddar cheese.  I softened the cream cheese and drained the beans and corn, not the tomatoes and mixed it all together.  I didn't have taco seasoning but added cilantro and cumin.  I didn't have any tortilla chips but had pita chips which worked fine as it was heavy dip.  After I mixed it all up I put it a baking dish (a deep pie dish) and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes till hot.  I was a HUGE hit!  Not all was eaten so I brought about a fourth of it home.  

Tonight for dinner, in between trying to swallow on a sore throat and sneezing I thought about making The Hubby take me out but I just didn't feel like getting out again.  I don't really feel bad, which is good.  I had chicken tenders thawing in the fridge and some egg noodles of which I was going to make some chicken and noodles but needed a PIZAZZ and thought of that leftover dip.  I added the dip and man oh man sooooo good!  Kind of a creamy spicy chicken and noodles.  

Mr. Santa up there I painted today at the office.  

End Zone Tree

Project:  This spring there will be an art show at the Broken Arrow Museum and the theme for the show is:  "What About Broken Arrow." Well, since I am from BA I think I might have a leg up on ideas.  I quickly went to my book shelves to look in a book I have about the first 100 years of BA and as I looked I found the story and picture of the End Zone Tree. 

The tree was planted in the 40's at the end zone of Kirkland Field by one H.K. Ragsdale, my former principal, former football coach for my dad.  Recently they tore down my (our) old high school and the football field for bigger and better (NOT).  Everyone was in a huge uproar and with great sadness it was done.  The tree was still there and H.K.'s son, Jim tried to save it in some way.  He found a tree doctor to look and see what could be done but along with the football field it was done.  So the next option was to save the trunk of the tree and have it carved into our team/school mascot, the might TIGERS!  A fund was started and it was done.  I'm not sure where it will sit yet but it has been preserved.

Now on to my idea for an art piece.  I decided that I would paint the End Zone Tree with the image of a tiger coming out of the tree!  So sketching I began.

Tuesday I started the painting. 

No it is on the green leaves, grass, etc.  I am proud of it so far and can't wait for the trunk to dry so I can begin the rest. 

"Julia"

I finished the roses.  Yes, I have it done and I love it.  I named them yellow roses but I'm changing it, mainly because I already have one called yellow roses.  I'm naming this painting "Julia" in honor of my mother.

"Julia"

24x12 oil

Baking 101, Or Maybe Not

Yesterday was supposed to be an art class day but as I wrote a couple of days ago it instead became a work day.  I had so much mail to open and piles of just crap I needed to go through after being absent for 3 days.  I knew it was going to be a long day with a break in the middle to attend a luncheon with some of those art buddies.  Finally leaving the office I had to go to the bank, the post office and finally the grocery store.  Snicklefritz was going to spend the night so I needed to get food and stuff to bake.  My plan was and is for her and I to bake today, mainly cookies and my famous fruitcake.  Back and forth through the store I loaded up on flour, sugar, butter, and pecans, you know the usual baking stuff.  BUT, when it came time to find the candied red cherries and candied pineapple I was up and down the aisles so many times I was getting angry trying to find said products.  Finally I found someone to help me and she directed me to an end cap at the back of the store, at the top, a tiny little boxed area where there about 10 containers of citron (YUCK)  and green cherries, obviously a hold over from what didn't sell last year.  WHAT THE *****!!!!  I was not happy and I told anyone who would listen to me.  Totally messed up my plans to bake fruitcake with Snicklefritz.  I DO NOT have time to go traipsing around town to different grocery stores looking for candied cherries and pineapple.  Really REALLY made me mad.  Then this morning I was awake at 4 AM...yes 4 AM!  I thought I would look on Amazon, and guess what, Friday my candied cherries and pineapple will be delivered in time for her and I to make fruitcake as she is spending the night again!  I am STOKED!  

The downside this morning of me being awake at 4 am is that Snicklefritz is up at 5:37!  

😞😞😞😞😞😞😞

This and That Christmas Crap

Good morning.  A quick update about my fast track life lately.  I have to admit I took two whole days at art class this week, I needed it!  Actually, I didn't work at the office much, but tried to get my Christmas shopping done, and did.  This year was order online and a few gift cards and DONE!  Wait, I forgot the great niece, well, one more.  

Next week is going to be OFF the CHART busy.  Tomorrow I'm attending yet another art workshop with Christopher Westfall.  You might remember a few weeks doing one but it was abstract.  This one is representational, which is basically what I do.  A one day affair I anticipate a lot of learning from a new eye.  That evening I HAVE to rush home because it's our banks Christmas party at Southern Hills and we always love to go to it.  Unfortunately I will miss the Jazzercise girls Christmas party that same night.  Oh well, something has got to give.  Speaking on that I am NOT going to art on my usual Tuesday, opting to work in the office since I'm missing Monday at my desk.  Plus Tuesday night after a full day at the desk and maybe my easel there Snicklefritz is spending the night because her Momma will be on TV (Channel 8-KTUL) to promote The Alliday Show very early the next day.  I'm sure she will be in my care a good part of the day which is okay BUT means I have got to wrap presents quickly today.  Also on Tuesday I have a luncheon with the Tulsa Artists Guild peeps in which I will attend and transport two of my art buddies before heading back to the desk.  

Thursday, YES, back to art class and my peeps!  I really don't need the class anymore, so to speak, but the critique and laughter with my friends is what I pay for.  I LOVE the whole thing!  Friday is back to work with payroll and pay bills!  YUCK!  Then Snicklefritz will again spend the night and be with us till about noon because we have yet another Christmas party to attend on Saturday night.  Busy, busy, busy.  

This past weekend we opted to stay in town and not go to the cabin because The Hubby had a dance thing in OKC on Saturday.  I didn't mind because I NEEDED to get the Christmas tree up and decorated if Snicklefritz was coming.  Actually, my heart was NOT into it this year, mainly because I wasn't hosting anything, next will be a different story.  So Friday morning I didn't go into the office until late in the day.  I spent the morning digging out the tree and decorations out of the guest closet.  That left a MESS in my guest room, Snicklefritz's bedroom when she spends the night.  (Yet another mess to clean up!)  Plus I HAD to get my closet under control.  I still had stuff in a bag from our travels to Italy, IN SEPTEMBER!  I hate clothes.  I took the opportunity to dump TONS of summer clothes that I did not wear this year.  

Oh, and two suitcases out of the guest closet that I don't use anymore.  With a gigantic bag of clothes to give away and two suitcases in tow my first stop on my way to lunch with The Hubby was Goodwill.  Before that though I did get the tree up, not decorated but up so The Hubby could light it.  Last year my wonderful pre-lit tree gave it up and didn't pre-lit anymore and he took all the lights off planning on LED lights.  He wanted to string the lights this year.  That was a first let me tell you.  In nearly 41 years of marriage that man has probably put two ornaments on a tree.  There was reason for that, no design style in tree decor.  So Friday night he strung "HIS" lights.  I looked at the way he did it and knew I would be restringing.  That guy is a MASTER at lighting homes, inside and out, but Christmas tree lighting inside, ummm, no!  While he was gone all day on Saturday until late I put ornaments on but because I can't seem to find the spirit it wasn't as much fun.  It just seems that we jumped right into Christmas without enjoying fall and Thanksgiving.  Next year I am SLoooowwwwing down and enjoying the experience again!  

Christmas tree is done, not like I have done in the past but done.  The storage boxes are back in the closet along with everything else I had to drag out of their and today I will organize the gifts that are piled on the bed into the dining room and wrap.  Yes, wrap, wrap, wrap.  The niece may get money in a card!  

Colorful Friday

I am not fond of doing the Black Friday thing but I did do a bit of online stuff this morning and I may be close to already done!!!!  Just a few gift cards and something for The Hubby!

Yesterday was a pretty wonderful day.  The food was great, the weather was great and the company was great!  We did have a bit of a hiccup though but it was not at our house.  We were all sitting outside enjoying the sunshine and visiting after gorging ourselves when we heard the fire truck sirens running.  We live close to the fire station so wasn't too worried but it kept going and getting louder and louder and more sirens.  We all jumped up and ran through the house and out the front door to see two fire trucks, two ambulances, and two police cars.  They were across the street at our neighbor lady's house. She is in her 90's but is pretty active and I think her son lives there with her.  Very shortly the fire trucks and ambulances left but the police stayed and it was apparent that she had passed away.  After about an hour with the police still there and family members arriving a van pulled up and we knew it was sort of a hearse for the funeral home.  One of our other neighbors said she had been in the hospital a couple of weeks ago.  I really had only met her once but it was very sad.  Kind put a downer on a day of being with family.

Anyway, Sis had asked me to paint her dog Nala and I finally got it done and she was thrilled.  She made sure to remind me to give it to her.   She loves it! 

Today I messed around with an idea.  My mother found this painting in a farmhouse we lived in in Arkansas in the early 60's and it was old then.  It is cracked and some of the paint has fallen off but it's still beautiful.  I had it cleaned and reframed a few years ago from the nicotine from my parents smoking.  It has to be well over 100 years old now. 

So today, I decided I would use it as my reference to tackle it. 

To top off my day today is when I tried to take a nap and just drifted off, DING-DONG...FedX...back to the couch and drifting off yet again when I heard knocking on the front door.  Up I go and as I walked I looked for UPS, no truck, but through the side window I saw a man standing at the edge of the step.  Through the door and glass I asked, "Can I help you." He replied saying something about needing a hard working man.  I said, "No thank you." Then he popped off, "What.  Are you afraid of a black man." OH GOOD GRIEF!  I said, "NO!  GO AWAY!" Kind of scared me to think he was going door to door and possibly just checking who would answer the door, to see who was actually home.  

I never did get that nap.  I did get to see B on the Channel 6 news with Rick Wells and her potholders at Philbrook!  

Happy Thanksgiving Memories

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.  I didn't set the alarm this morning thinking I would wake up on time to get Mr. Tom roasting in the oven and I didn't miss it by much.  I wanted to be up about six and the mind and eyes were alert at 6:15.  I rushed into the kitchen and started prepping said turkey.  Tea brewing, dressing started, turkey roasting, giblets bubbling, yep it's starting to smell like the smells I remember of years ago.  

When I was a wee kiddo our Thanksgivings were the best time of the year because, number one, we were out of school, number two we got to go to Greatgranny's, my most favorite place on the earth.  I used to think I wanted my ashes sprinkled on that property but as I near the age things like that happen...shiver...I don't want that.  No one is there anymore.  The house is empty and falling down.  What I have left are the warm memories that are with me and I try to share here sometimes for my girls.  

It was Momma's favorite holiday too because she got to shine with her turkey and dressing and I hope I have carried on that tradition for her.  My grandparents lived off the land and didn't have much but a warm home, friends and family, they were RICH!  So many memories of that place that I may just have to take off and ramble here to get the memory out.  

Mother would plan for weeks for Thanksgiving, making lists for her major grocery store run.  We weren't wealthy either so it was a huge chunk of change for her to spend on feeding whoever showed up for dinner.  But that didn't matter.  Greatgranny's was a haven for weary hunters and long lost cousins to come and know that they would be fed and get their tootsies warm in front of the wood stove in the living room.  You know I didn't see a live deer in the wild until I was in my 40's.  They were always hung from a tree being gutted in the front yard.  Men would come from miles around to get Big Dan to help them, teach them how to gut it.  I know, I know you tender hearts will take offense by this but, AGAIN, they lived off the land, even though Big Dan was a college educated man and highly decorated veteran from WWII.  There was never not some kind of "meat" that was not cooked on the table, in the freezer or fridge, frog, turtle, fox, deer, bobcat, etc.  It was an era and I am so glad I got to experience that world.  It made me who I am today.  Made me appreciate everything I have in my life.  Again, they weren't rich but the memories and life they let me be a part of made me and them the wealthiest people in the world.  (I'm getting nostalgic because of the yummy turkey smells wafting throughout my house right now!)

the dining room... 

My favorite driveway to my haven. 

More dining room.  That is Greatgranny, standing in the place that, before they made the freezer room/her bedroom in to a bathroom, Greatgranddaddy sat to eat his meals next to his toaster oven. 

Used to sleep in the bed of that truck in the summer months parked right there next to the house.

The garden. 

 

Great aunt Ree...in front of the many, MANY mounts that adorned the walls.

View to the living room from the dining room...the wishbone doorway.  I now have most of those wishbones at our cabin.

This is Big Dan (my great uncle) with one of many hides that were around too.  I think that is fox, maybe coyote...not sure. 

My sweet, sweet momma probably waiting on a turkey to come out of the oven.  She is sitting in Big Dan's place, always his place. 

Greatgranddaddy and the many minions of kiddos that were always around.  Two of the kidlets I sort of remember, but definitely me, brother and sis!