Life by the Big Muddy

 A dear friend asked me to blog our new adventures in Missouri, but I’ve not taken the time to sit down and write anything. I wanted fabulous pictures to go with the posts, but unlike where we used to live in Oregon, the roads here are roller coaster strips of pavement winding through corn and soybean fields. Shoulders to pull off on are non-existent on most back roads. I didn’t want to scare folks by pulling off onto their driveways to jump out and take photos, but I’m hoping to get some good shots soon. Our neighborhood is surrounded by verdant fields, so add that to beautiful early morning sunrises, I have captured a couple of share worthy shots so far.

Missouri is unlike any other state I’ve lived in. Most notable to me so far has been all the back roads spider webbing through the landscape; some flat, some quite winding with deep dips shaded under a canopy of tree branches reaching across both sides of the road.

Intriguing to me has been the lack of sprinklers anywhere here. The corn, and soybean fields stretch for miles, with nary a watering system in sight. Yards here are watered by Mother Nature, and that’s it! Our yard has some spots that could use watering, but that’s only because of the soil in those areas. No one waters their vegetable gardens either, yet they have huge beautiful squash, pepper and tomato plants. I was so intrigued by the lack of sprinklers so I asked my neighbor and she said the soil here is mostly a silt loam, which has great drainage, but is also relatively moist, so gardens don’t need to be watered unless we have a long dry stretch of weather. Haven't seen that happen yet. Combine that with the rainfall here, and there’s no need to water in most cases. We do have pockets of very thick clay in our yard, so I will have to loosen that up with sand and a lot of peat moss, because it doesn't hold water, as it's too dense. 

Speaking of rainfall, when it rains here, which happens more than predicted, it comes in waves of water from the clouds. You think I’m kidding, right? Ha! We had 18 inches come down in a 24 hour period, and thus ended up with a bit of water in our basement because the ground was saturated and there was no where else for it to go. Luckily for us it was minor flooding, but the folks across the street had inches of water in their basement for days as it kept trickling down the hill from above. As for driving in a cloudburst here, there are some who think they are impervious, but most of us just pull off to the side of the road, if there is one, or become one of those annoyingly slow drivers going 25 mph to keep from going off the road or veering into oncoming traffic. It's like trying to drive through a car wash, without the suds of course.

My next post I’ll share a bit about the birds, and the bugs and the heat, oh my! Have a blessed day, Sheryl

Of Family Heirlooms, the Pretty Things

 A lot of lovely things sit in boxes for decades, never being used or shared. How often do they get discovered by adult children sorting through what their parents have left behind? We as humans do a lot of collecting and never using things, leaving them to sit in storage with a "maybe someday", or "they're for company", attached to them, that never happens. That someday never comes, and that special occasion meal ends up being served on paper plates and plastic cups, for convenience sake. That antique occasional table sits in the garage waiting for the right place to be placed, and the family photos pile up in cardboard boxes, while modern wall hangings with clever sayings are hung, where that great photo of grandpa Frank and Grandma Mildred should be.

My husband thinks he remembers these beautiful plates hanging on his grandmother's wall. He says she loved pretty and elegant things, even though she never had a big home, or a well off lifestyle, she managed to collect a few that got passed on after she was gone. She was an extraordinary cook I hear, and could stand up to anyone on the major cooking shows. She always wore a dress, and loved to wear brooches. She had a quick sense of humor, and introduced classic movies to my husband and his sister. Whenever my husband sees some of her things he loves to share what he remembers about her, as they spark a walk down memory lane. These plates are hand painted if I'm not mistaken, but regardless, they are designed to be hung on a wall to beautiful a room or area.They are a constant reminder of that loved one who is no longer here, and the good times to be remembered.  It's a shame they didn't get put out, to be a part of new memories being made.

Pretty things accompany memories, of dinners around the table at Christmas, or that quiet conversation over some warm drink during the cold winter months, where  you learned about your grandma's first sweetheart. Maybe grandpa shared his memories of the war, as you sat in front of the fire, and you cried inside to think that he had to go through such horrible things. Always present, never interfering, but silently there, something to gaze upon as life, and sharing, and caring go on. 

Hopefully this home will be a place of peace, and a sanctuary of love and family heirlooms. A place where memories are hopefully cherished, and maybe someday, these pretty things will hang in another of our children or grandchildren's homes, a reminder of stories of yesterday.  A reminder of the special events, or times of struggle, but in all are attached to memories to be shared. 

Put out those pretty things, and use them if possible, and hang those family photos. Use them to tell your children and grandchildren the stories they don't know. Have them out when you create your own memories, so some day they will be a reminder of the great times you've shared together. I know we will.

Sometimes You Win, and Sometimes You Have To Try Again

I recently bought this really nifty vintage metal cabinet that had been painted white, but had no top. I found some wide wood boards at Home Depot, and made a top for the cabinet, then painted the cabinet, top and handles so they somewhat match the microwave.  I've been looking for something to use to set my KitchenAid on, as it's too tall to fit on the counter. I love the color and how it turned out.

I got it because I've been looking for something to use to set my KitchenAid on, as it's too tall to fit on the counter. I was hoping to set up a baking area on the right end of the counter, over where all my baking supplies are. Well the best laid plans went awry when I didn't measure the depth of the counter, taking into account that the heat register and the base board take up some space. It's okay at the other end of the counter, but totally defeats the purpose I got it for. I also have other things in mind for that area. So the search goes on, and this can go downstairs in the someday to be art studio, as it will match my desk perfectly. 

As you can see by the mess on the counter I'm still unpacking and trying to decide where everything will go. For now I need to go hunt down my shoes. I know they're in one of those boxes somewhere.....

He Is Risen Indeed!

At 6:30 this morning we had the opportunity to attend an interdenominational Sunrise service for Easter. What a gorgeous morning for gathering to welcome the Easter sabbath! It was a cool 54 degrees at Edwin A. Pape lake, but the setting, with birds raising a joyful noise in the background was perfect. 

It was a short but sweet service, where I learned that other churches don't believe in what the resurrection is, the way we do. I won't go into that now, as we learned that these kind folks, who had to split from a larger group in order to include our church in this service, are faithful and sincere in their belief in Jesus Christ. Regardless of doctrinal differences, which are few by the way, they accepted us as fellow Christians, when others wouldn't. They truly represent what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about, loving everyone, and including them in our lives, and our worship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We also had the opportunity to show support for their benevolence fund, and thus support their good efforts to help those in need. 

Afterwards we talked with and got to know some of our new branch members. Our branch president pointed out that when Joseph Smith went out into the grove that early spring morning so long ago, where he experienced the first vision, he probably saw trees the way we were seeing them this morning, with the tiny green buds on the tree branches. We saw the remnants of winter die off, among patches of newly growing grasses, and some trees still standing bare, unlike the beautiful green trees and undergrowth depicted in so many paintings of that sacred event. An interesting perspective, as we often paint things with limited vision, not knowing all the details. 

Through that event, regardless of the surroundings Joseph Smith experienced, because of his sincere desire to know the truth regarding religion and the gospel in general, we have been blessed with the opportunity to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and to know that He died for us that we might live again. The resurrection is for us all, and we can in all sincerity say, He is risen indeed!