Country Cruisin'

Our Grand-daughter's

2 week stay

got extended to 

3 weeks

(due to family work

schedules and travel plans!)

Mommy called to 

ask if we were up for it...

I said, "it's up to the girls?"

"If they can handle it, so can I"...

Of course, they're so busy

having fun, they'd stay

all summer if they could!!

(and if Mommy didn't have to work,

so would she!)

So here I am 

at day 16...

Domino (our 5 year old)

drew Grandma's portrait on the

sidewalk...

"That's you, Grandma!!"

A "little" scary,I thought,

but at least 

I'm still smiling!

Unfortunately, we've had 

far too many cool rainy days

and

have been cooped up inside...

(thank goodness, for t.v.!)

AND...

 there's nothing better

than a good 

old fashioned

Country Drive

for a change of scenery

and get those

mindless 

loony tunes out of your head!!

Here's what we all saw

as we sang about

149 rounds

of 

Old McDonald Had a Farm...

Wild Phlox...

Great Blues...

 

 Mallards...

with a quack, quack, here

a quack, quack there

here a quack

there a quack

 "Ooops, I guess they heard us!"

 

 There they go...

quack, quack!!

Just about every bird

in the neighborhood heard 

us coming from a mile away...

the horses didn't mind our

lame imitation of their 

Naaayyyyy!

 

 This blue wing teal was content

to keep swimming along....

With all the rains

we've had lately,

it was good to get out

and see someone appreciating

all the water...

 

Cause this Granny is ready 

for some sunshine 

and more outside

Play Time!

My feathers are ruffled,

and I'm starting to walk funny...

but I think I can last 

a couple more days???

I'll let you know,

if I survive Thursday's

water park excursion!!

EEEiiiii

EEEEiiiiii

OOOOOO!

Lisa

Out Comes the Sun

Happy Monday, Friend!

Someone finally

shut the rain off...

the sun is out,

the flowers 

say,

"Halleluiah!"

We will be playing

and 

working 

OUTSIDE

today,

what have 

you

got 

planned??

Make it 

a good one,

Lisa

I'm joining Mary

at Little Red House

for Mosaic Monday

(I've Missed Her!!)

stop by for some inspirational

photography and collages!

Slow!

I Just saw this sign

on the 

Prairie Homestead Facebook Page...

 

the caption read,

"Does your homestead need one of these?"

 

 

My answer:

YEP!!

Happy Thursday

from our little

Home on the Range!

Lisa  

The World's Only!

Mission Accomplished!

Grand-daughter #1 wanted 

a "real" Bow and Arrow

in the worst way!

What better place 

to find one 

than in

Mitchell, South Dakota!

the heart of the prairie,

the place where "real"

cowboys and Indians

fought with bullets and arrows!

 

 The gift shop across the street 

from the "World's Only" Corn Palace

offered up a 

more than adequate

selection of Bows and Arrows!

In fact, Grandma was quite

befuddled in choosing the 

appropriate weapon 

for her sweet princesses!

I suppose girls these days

can be princesses one day

and warriors the next?

(I'm sure Grandpa will be proud!)

Two bows and six arrows...

$12.98 later the girls 

got their warrior weapon

of choice and we were 

off to Walmart!

We practiced a few times outside...

(trust me there were no cowboys in sight!)

and then we were satisfied to 

get back in the wagon car 

and ride to our next stop....

What a fun day,

Ice Cream and Hamburgers

at the Zesto,

racing carts with Nana

through the aisles at Walmart,

and getting Bows and Arrows!!

Life is Good!

Hugs,

Lisa

The sun finally came out again...

and the rest of the planting can resume!!

Everything we planted BEFORE the rains

looks really good, and my flower pots 

are filling in nicely!

With our two little grand-daughters

here visiting, I would much

rather see sunshine than rain...

these two city girls come 

to the farm for freedom and fresh air...

It was a busy weekend,

Grandpa Sall finished planting the garden...

asparagus was pickled (wait and see)...

we all went fishing in the Missouri River...

and Grandma mowed, mowed, and mowed...

Forget about flowers and vegetables!!

I get these 12 acres mowed and it's

time to start all over again!!

If it continues to be this wet 

all summer, Grandma better get 

herself a few goats to help with

the mowing!!!

 

Hmmm, just an epiphany moment

when I found Mr. Goat T in my Flower Pot!

 

Mr Goat T wouldn't use any

expensive gasoline!!!

and Grandma wouldn't 

be spending every hour of her time

on the doggone lawn mower!...

(she could be blogging!)

Food for thought anyway,

Have a great Monday!!

Lisa

Country Life and Lilacs

 Yesterday we were in

Lilac Heaven....

 

They picked me a bouquet

and surprised me

with it!

 

Grandmas love

flower bouquets!

They spent the morning outside 

washing rocks in their 

birthday suits...

(good thing we live in the boonies!!)

swinging and teeter-tottering,

playing in their tent.

enjoying the country life!!

 

I hope they remember these special

moments,

because I sure will!!

 

 Love

and

Lilac Bouquets,

Have a great day!

Lisa

Prairie Scenes

I have this Mary Engelbreit

print hanging in our guest bedroom

(the room our grand-girls are staying in)

I didn't have my camera,

or my patience tonight at 7:30

(when Grandpa and I were 

thinking of bedtime)

and the 5 year old is out

in the driveway

squishing her toes in the mud puddle!!

She found an old brass

towel ring (which is now her crown)...

to go with her neon pink princess dress!!

There she stood in full princess attire

in the middle of a mud hole.

It was quite a site,

and Grandma was too pooped

to run and get her camera!

(If I could speak German

I know I would've sounded

just like my Grandma!!)

AAUUCCKKHH!

 

15 days ago we were all praying for rain...

the dust was flying,

and talk at the coffee shop

was all about DROUGHT!!

Two weeks and 3plus inches later,

farmers are wondering if they'll

ever get back into the fields

to finish planting.

It's raining again tonight,

my lawn will need

to be put up like hay

when it finally stops raining.

The pheasants are loving it...

Roosters are gorgeous this time of year!

These two are so busy

trying to impress a hen,

they didn't even see me.

 

The sun will shine again soon

and of course the wind will come to 

dry everything out too...

 

 I am liking the view again,

it's much greener,

and green means promise!

 

 

and for those of us that live on the prairie,

PROMISE is better than DROUGHT.

 

 

 I am grateful for the rain,

the green grass,

 the wild asparagus,

the water for the wild birds,

promise of a successful garden,

and

I am grateful for the mud

and the 10 muddy toes I was

hosing off at the 

end of another 

crazy day 

with 2 wild and crazy girls!

Hugs,

Lisa

The Young and The Restless

All dressed up

and no place to go!

Their snack break lasted

about 15 seconds...

until they had Grandma

searching for a teapot

 

 The tea party ended

in some kind of argument??

the little one running back to the house

yelling "I'm going to my house"

the older one yelling,

"Fine!"

Five minutes later they're 

coming out in different outfits...

one is the Mommy,

the other is the baby

(in her pajamas)

It's like a Soap Opera

all day long!!

to be continued....

Lisa

Remembering With Flowers

Last week Sall and I attended

his sister's funeral...

such a sad occasion,

Sall's sister, Nicky, lost her battle with cancer

 at the age of 67...

Like my husband,

she too had a green thumb,

her and her husband's yard

was always picture perfect enough

to do a full spread in

"Better Homes and Gardens"

a couple of times she would

send HUGE hydrangeas home 

with me

(enough to share with mother too)

Nicky always asked about

my mom and would send

her love and her flowers...

I will miss my chatter-box

sister-in-law...

and every time I look

at a hydrangea I will think of 

her and her sincerity, generosity, 

and thoughtfulness!! 

On the way home Monday

we stopped at the greenhouse

to get our starter plants for the 

summer growing season...

Max had to give up the full back seat...

I crammed plants into every 

nook and cranny of that car!!

He was not impressed...

 

But, I had plans for all of those flowers

and

Sall's cumuber plants took up 

the whole back space!

 

 

And down the road to home

we went...

the car smelling

like a greenhouse,

and me planning

my flower beds

the next 80 miles...

 

Little did I know, I would have 

two big helpers to get 

them all planted!!

Today me and the grand-girlies

delivered and planted flowers

to "Nana"

we had a great time

learning the flower names

and planting them 

 in her pots...

These pots are sure to flourish

as they were all 

planted with "LOVE"

For 31 years I have been taking

flowers to the cemetery with my mother to remember

my father on Memorial Day...

this was the first time we 

had so much fun!!

I think we just started a new tradition!

We decorated my Dad's grave at the cemetery,

we remembered loved ones lost to us...

including Aunt Nicky, Great-Grandma Erden,

Little Dee (the dog) and most recently

Truck (the cat)

we planted Nana's flowers for her,

we toured Shakespeare Garden...

We threw in a quarter

and said 

"Let's do this every year!"

Happy Memorial Day!

Lisa, Domino, and Zelda

Stormy Weather

We woke up to

lightning bolts and rain

this morning...

so much for a day 

of play outside today!

the wind, mud, and rain

kept us all yearning

for sunshine...

the rain did subside 

for an afternoon

asparagus hunt....

Which made for a 

memorable meal

this holiday weekend...

More rain is in the forecast this week...

I hope we aren't stuck inside

all week!

Maybe we better

go shopping

for galoshes!

Happy sloppy wish washy day,

Lisa