Needle and Thread

 I started the stocking project sometime last fall, and didn't get very far at all.  I picked up back up in October and got it finished.  I also discovered a great source for frames!  There's a flea market near my work that has 99% junk but occasionally has some treasure.  And the price is usually right!  I would paint them anyway, so finding a $2-3 frame seemed like a bargain!

 As soon as I found out that my friend Christina was moving to a new house, and was closing by Christmas, I knew that I had to make this one for her.  I'm excited to see her new house and give this to her tonight!  I have the same design on a pillow that I bought on Etsy before I realized that I could do it myself.

This last one I made based on one that I had seen in a flea market.  It is a nice addition to a Christmas-y part of house.

Saturday Adventure

This past Saturday, we got an early start and headed out on a drive.  Our first destination was a little village called Caldonia.  David had seen it when he went with Todd to watch the eclipse and thought it was a place I needed to see.

 It was full of beautiful old architecture and neat little shops.  This place is for sale...David?  How about it?  Live in part, antique store in part?

 We finished up our day in Hermann, which was a really neat town!  We ate an early supper at The Wurst Haus.  I never would have tried a pear and gorgonzola brat, but sampling before we ordered sealed the deal.  It was delicious! 

We had a great day getting out of town and away from all the things that call our attention at home. 

The Adventures of Daycare Dog

Riley didn't attend dog daycare, so I'm not sure what made us start taking Annie.  Maybe just her impressive energy level that really needed an outlet.  We also hoped that she'd learn social skills from other dogs while burning off some of that energy.  Whatever the reasons we started taking her, the reason we keep taking her is that she LOVES going.  She is so happy to get there, they seem to like her, and she's wonderfully worn out when she gets home.

 Some days, they post pictures of the dogs.  It's so fun to see what she is up to when we're not around.  On Halloween, they dressed the willing ones in costumes for a picture.  I think Annie is a unicorn in the picture above.  There must have been treats involved, because her paw is mid air as if she's trying to shake to earn a treat.

 In several of the pictures, Annie can be found on one of these platforms.  She's a jumper!

 She also seems to enjoy the slide.  Even though these aren't the prettiest, I think maybe we should get one for our backyard!

When she's not at daycare, we're pretty sure she thinks about her friends.

Rendezvous in the Ozarks

In October, we traded in the Jeep for a new member of the famly - a concrete colored Tacoma.  We didn't realize just how much we'd miss having a truck.

 Within a week of the arrival of the truck, it took it's first trip with us - to the Rendezvous in the Ozarks near Ozark, AR.  We went on Thursday night and got all set up.  On Friday morning, it began a light but steady rain, which continued all night.  We were very glad Annie was spending the weekend with her grandparents (thanks Mom and Dad!) because the entire campground turned to a soggy muddy mess.  We enjoyed ourselves with our dinner under our shelter, listening to music and rain, and warming our hands next to the Mr. Buddy heater.  Thankfully, it cleared off and Saturday was a beautiful day!

 We took a drive and checked out an overlook.

 And of course, took a few pictures of the truck.

Despite the rain, it was a great camping trip.  It was a first for both of us - 3 consecutive nights of camping!

Friends and Family

In October, David celebrated his 30 year class reunion.  His friend Brent was named Greenwood's Outstanding Young Alumni for this year, which makes us wonder exactly how they define "young." :)  Nonetheless, we are proud of Brent.  So proud, in fact, that we saw through a 3 hour awards banquet.

 As the guys in the picture above might agree, old friends are priceless.  So I was very glad when it worked out for Christina and I to take our moms to our favorite Saturday lunch spot - Spring Creek Tea Room.  It's a place she and I go every chance we get, and it was fun to have our moms join us!

 In other friends and family, or friends who are family news, Todd has a new to him sailboat!  I'm still looking forward to going for a sail!

Shameless Bragging About My Dog

I received a new phone for my birthday (thank you Mom and Dad) and I must admit, the main reason I wanted it was for the camera.  And I wanted that fancy camera to take pictures of my favorite subject...this girl.

 Portrait mode loves her!

 The picture of little Annie was taken by Todd last December.  The bigger picture taken in September in the same spot.

 I had big plans for her first birthday photo shoot, but didn't get it done.  Still managed to get a picture in her birthday banana though!

 I really love this one in her life jacket. 

 But these in the leaves at the cabin are my absolute favorite.  I'm pretty biased, but I think she's just beautiful! 

Like Riley, she's a willing photography subject as long as you keep the treat coming.

Lake Life

All summer, we spent every free moment of every weekend enjoying the lake life.  Annie learned to swim off the dock.  That girl has no fear!  I love this slow motion video that really captures how she launches off the dock.  She would do this until she could do it no more.

 Even Gracie sampled lake life while the power was out at our house.  She took to it much quicker than I thought she would!

 Annie is having a hard time understanding that it is too cold in November to swim.  Pretty sure she is dreaming about spring!

 We also enjoyed having company at the lake.  This group of college roommates doesn't get together nearly often enough, but we had a great time catching up one Sunday afternoon.

 We enjoyed attending quite a few parking lot concerts hosted by the local Vietnam Veterans organization.

 According to Annie, even chores like burning old wood are more fun at the lake.

I'd have to agree, Annie!  We sure enjoy the cabin and lake in all seasons, but it has definitely made summer more fun!

He Shed She Shed

We had some excitement at our house in July.  A strong storm blew up while David was finishing up mowing in the backyard.  When the wind kicked up, I looked in the front yard to check on the questionable walnut tree in the front yard.  Suddenly, the power went out.  I looked in the backyard to see our big tree in the backyard broken in half and laying on what was left of another tree.

 Unfortunately, these trees took the power line from the house to the pole with them, so we knew power wouldn't be restored right away.

 David was still in the backyard when it happened, so we were grateful that they fell away from him.  Soon after the trees fell, while we were still deciding what to do about the contents of the fridge and such, we heard the initial report on the terrible accident with the duck boat on our beloved lake.  Suddenly, the trees in our yard seemed far more insignificant.  We packed up the pets and food, and headed to the cabin where we would live for the next few days.  We were also thankful that we had a place to go.

 We didn't lament our loss for long.  The trees were cut and stumps ground.  It looked weird at first, but we're getting used to it.  We've talked for years about replacing our shed, so while a section of fence was out for the tree equipment, we bought a shed and had it delivered.  Getting the shed to this spot in the yard is another post for another time, and a story best told by David and my dad.  I like our new shed!  It's quite roomy compared to the old one.

Glad we could make something good out of something bad!

Marfa to Palo Duro

Our next stop on our Tour de Texas was Marfa, where we checked out the funky arty town and ate some really fabulous pizza.

 We stayed up late and drove out of town, hoping to see the famous lights of Marfa.  We might have, and we might have not, but it was fun to try!

When we left Marfa, we headed north toward Amarillo, with a stop at the second largest canyon in the US - Palo Duro Canyon.  Beautiful state park, and impressive canyon.

We missed our puppy, so after some delicious burgers at our favorite Amarillo dive, we headed toward home.

Big Bend

The next leg of our journey took us about 630 miles away, but still in the great state of Texas, to Big Bend National Park and the quirky little town of Terlingua.  

 Big Bend was beautiful, and oh so very hot.  According to the Jeep, it was about 108 at the bottom of the canyon where the Rio Grand flows.

 We didn't let that stop us from dipping a toe in.

 As we were driving along on a dessert dirt road, I thought I was seeing things - a mirage in the dessert.  Instead, it was an actual oasis.  A former general store near a natural hot spring where people traveled for the restorative benefits of the hot mineral filled waters.  I was happy as can be to hang out in the shade of those palms.

 Still within the boundaries of Big Bend, as you climb the mountain road, you see the differences caused by elevation.  There are trees, and the air is cooler. 

 We sat at this spot for quite a while, enjoying the incredible views and the mountain breeze.

 Near the oasis in the dessert, there were the remains of several structures.  It's hard to imagine how people survived in the harsh conditions.

 Speaking of harsh conditions, we experience none from the great Air BandB property where we stayed.  Each evening, we got to watch the sky turn amazing colors as the sun set behind us.

I don't know that I could live in Terlingua, but what a fantastic place it was to visit!