There’s something about a long-simmered pot of pinto beans that warms your soul. I was always taught that when cooking with dry beans, the first thing you always want to do is to pick through them. What you’re looking for are any beans that are shriveled, super dark, or otherwise appear off. You should also be on the lookout for any small rocks or other inedible debris that might have found its way into the bag. The next step is a nice, long soak—depending on who you ask. Soa

Today is a very special day... On this day it's your birthday and also the 18th anniversary you gave us a new identity; as grandparents to you, Lucas! Papa was as so proud of you and would have loved to watch you grow up. I have to do that now for him. I love being your grandma. I thank God for you being born into our family. You have a direct roadway to our hearts. Happy birthday, my sweet Lucas! May God always give you the strength to overcome any difficulty and keep you f

The past week may not have turned out as planned. But hey! It is Sunday. There’s light ahead. A whole week of limitless possibilities ahead. Stay hopeful, stay positive. Remember: whatever you do and wherever you go, take always a smile and a good mood with you." Have a beautiful Sunday! Nana

Several years ago I happened upon this old Springfield park at 1401 N. Grant Ave. I usually don't come to this part of town but I was overtaken with the huge wonder of this beautiful park in the middle of town! Grant Beach Park was one of the first new parks acquired by the Park Board, Feb. 3, 1914. It was originally called Woolen Mills Park, after an old mill on the site, the name changed to Grant Beach Park Dec. 10, 1915 — Grant after Grant Avenue on the park’s eastern edge

With the days ticking away till summer has me thinking about the loathe of mowing... Good News is with mowing after all the rain and then more rain yet forecasted. I am thinking that I might need to get the yard done before I have to bale it. However, this is usually a short lived happiness with it needing be done again soon. Darn Grass! Today I happen to see this joke. It did amuse me after the last few days... Got to love it! GOD: St. Francis, you know all about gardens and

Well I fell off the healthy lifestyle train that I was riding some years ago... actually with my first baby. The train went on down the tracks full speed ahead and by the time I dusted myself off we could not even see it. So I drank diet cokes and coconut cream pies & had big fat chicken fried steaks covered in gravy while I waited for it to come back. I learned that the train does not come back unless it has passengers to pick up. I just bought a ticket and have committe

It’s lonely at the top... I took this photo in the last couple of years of the Polk County Courthouse in downtown Bolivar, Missouri. I’ve always thought the statue of Lady justice on top appeared unusually large. In fact, she is about thirteen feet tall (six feet shorter than the Statue of Freedom that tops the U.S. Capitol) and was placed on the building when it opened in 1907, according to the local news paper. The statue is hollow and is supported by an 8-inch by 8-inch oa

Missouri... Where the weather is so messed up that they give it names and then track it like paparazzi stalking a celebrity in Rehab! Let's see there are Flood Warnings, Thunderstorm Warnings, Lightning Warnings and maybe any other adventure they can throw at us this week. We Got This! 🤣 Laughing & Rolling Along... Nana

As I was out on the road one day, I ran across this driveway gate. I had noticed it several times before but I finally stopped to get a picture with my camera. Pigs With Wings. The phrase "pigs might fly" or "pigs may fly" has been used in various forms since 1600's, when it was said that "pigs fly with their tails forward," used as a sarcastic remark something overly optimistic. The form "when pigs fly" is more common in the USA. Pig’s can’t fly! It’s impossible, which is pr

At birth, we board the train and meet our parents, and we believe they will always travel by our side. As time goes by, other people will board the train; and they will be significant i.e. our siblings, friends, children, and even the love of your life. However, at some station our parents will step down from the train, leaving us on this journey alone. Others will step down over time and leave a us to ride. This train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations,

My backyard has become a jungle full of broken trees, over grown and out of control. The wildlife is getting along fine. However, with all the rain I may now be classified as a rainforest too. Storms has brought in destruction to several trees and many have been bent to an unfamiliar sight. One good thing is I might be able to put up one of those little signs that says natural habitat. 😃 With the state of things it is an overwhelming adventure I am reluctant to start purchas

What is the most ordered food when people generally step-in to restaurants or stop by any eatery? The answer in unison would undoubtedly be in... Noodles of some sort! But, how many of us actually order spaghetti instead of noodles? And how many of us still think that the long, thin, solid, cylindrical noodle is actually not a noodle but a noodle pasta? And that it is certainly not a Chinese cuisine but an Italian one! Our family loves us some Spaghetti. In fact our brood usu

You wake up, without the prompting of an alarm, and survey the vast expanse of the weekend coming forth. “Saturdays are the best days,” you think to yourself, deciding to stay in bed a little longer. Or perhaps it’s the joy of sleeping in yet again, indulgent and serene, that prompts you to think, “Ah yes, this is it — Sunday is the highlight of every week.” Maybe you’re a Friday-loving sociopath. It doesn’t matter. You’re wrong... All of those days are fine, but they’re not

Tax Time! There I was computing my taxes this year and found that I owed... $3407. (Not really but just for an example) I packaged up my payment and included this letter: Dear IRS: Enclosed is my current Tax Return & payment. Please take note of the attached article from the USA Today newspaper. In the article, you will see that the Pentagon is paying $171.50 for hammers and NASA has paid $600.00 for a toilet seat. Please find enclosed four toilet seats (value $2400) and si

In honor of "Mom" Deviled eggs have always been a favorite with my family. Mom made the best simple "Deviled Eggs!" Here's how she taught me... Start with 12 eggs, boiled and peeled 4 tablespoons mayonnaise 4 tablespoons yellow mustard 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon sugar Paprika (To sprinkle on top) Like Mom and contrary to what many people say, I think adding the eggs to boiling, salted water, makes them easier to peel. Always have eggs at room temperat

Today is a special post... My dear daughter... 43 years have passed from the day I first held you in my arms. It’s been an exhilarating journey being your mom. Today, You are everything that I had wished I could be while I was raising you. Everything I was striving to be. And now, I get to watch you as a wonderful wife & mother and person I hoped you would become. I am so proud to be your Mother and I am sure your Father is looking down upon you with a smile on his face too.

We had Good Friday & then Easter. "Good Friday has been, for centuries now, the heart of the Christian message because it is through the death of Jesus Christ that we Christians believe that we have been forgiven of our sins," Here's a more detailed look at what happened on Good Friday: The Crucifixion: Jesus, after being arrested and condemned by Jewish religious leaders, was sentenced to crucifixion by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. Public Humiliation and Suffering: J

When I was a little girl, I was a swimming fool. The city pool was a block from our house. First of all, I think they had to drain it every week and refill it with water they piped in from the South Pole. You’d think with so many that were sharing this cold crammed packed water we would have all gotten a horrible disease like typhoid fever, leprosy or at the very least, Polio, but the water was either too cold to sustain microbial life or nobody could ever stay in long enough

I think about my adventures a few years ago. I took a walk through a cemetery with my family. I noticed there were headstones dating back to the early 20th century, and I read many of the inscriptions. As I did so, it occurred to me that most of the gravestones said little, other than the length of his or her life, about the person buried there. I wish my gravestone could be different. The mark I leave on this world may be smaller than a gnat, but I want anyone reading my